Burton struggled to pick up the playbook, missed meetings and had trouble showing up on time for team activities. Twice, off-field incidents or behaviors caused him to be inactive, including being left off the trip to Pittsburgh for the season finale, and it eventually came out he was facing eviction and being sued for damages to his rental unit at The Banks.
Something clicked this offseason, and Burton flipped a switch. Now, he seems to be doing everything right and his efforts aren’t going unnoticed.
“At the end of the day, I know my ability, and I know my potential, and I know what I need to do to show it,” Burton said Tuesday in his first interview with local media since the 2024 season. “So, you know, I’m doing all those things right now, and you know, hopefully you guys will see it real soon.”
The 23-year-old showed potential when he made his first NFL catch for 47 yards in a Week 2 loss at Kansas City, but he finished the year with just 107 yards on four receptions with no touchdowns.
Burton declined to talk about what happened at the end of the season. When asked if there was anything going on behind the scenes to affect him mentally, he said he was in a good place then but “life is life” and bad decisions were made.
“Things happen, and you just got to move on from it,” Burton said. “So, you know, the only thing that you can do as a person is just make your own decisions. So, you know, whether you’re in a good spot or not mentally or physically, you can always make a bad decision. And you know, it’s just yeah, it’s all up to you as a person how you move on from things and just grow as a person.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Burton said he learned a lot last year, but above all was the fact “you’ve really got to be a professional in this league.”
That meant creating better work habits and developing a routine that he could repeat with his team, both things he focused on this offseason and has been putting into practice during voluntary workouts and Organized Team Activities.
Burton was even around the facility when nothing was on the schedule for the players, including a Saturday morning during NFL Draft weekend when teammates weren’t around to see it and coaches had their attention elsewhere.
That was all part of just keeping with the routine he had established with the hope it would just become second nature, as the Bengals were just starting up their offseason workout program.
“It wasn’t trying to show anybody anything, just for myself as a person, you know, just me trying to start my routine early,” Burton said. “So, being here in the morning, you know, cold tub, hot tub, steam room, stretching. It’s just things like that, getting my body used to it, forcing my body to come on schedule with it.”
Bengals coach Zac Taylor said he appreciates the way Burton has attacked practices. Quarterback Joe Burrow also has noticed an increased focus from the second-year receiver.
“I think he stepped up this year so far,” Burrow said in a recent press conference. “Has taken it very seriously. Has matured, it seems like. That’s exciting to see. Based on the conversations that we have had, he’s in a good spot mentally and physically. And he’s been working hard, which is exciting to see.”
Burton said he doesn’t view this year as getting a “second chance” but rather a sign the coaches believe in him.
He’s still learning how to become more consistent, but he credited Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins especially for giving advice and demonstrating how they were able to reach such a high level in their careers and maintain it well enough to earn big contracts this offseason.
“I was pretty much, you know, just maturing at the end of the day, knowing what’s at stake, and you know, I got a family that needs me,” Burton said. “And you know, I want to be there for them in any way I can. So, I know what’s at stake. And you know, I think as you mature and get older, you realize.”
“I am in a really good head space right now,” he added. “And you know, I’m happy to be here, happy to be back around my guys. And, you know, happy to still, still, still be learning my guys and getting better relationships with them. So, you know, honestly, couldn’t be happier. You know, I feel like I’m in a really great space right now.”
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