A casino trip for some slot play has landed a member of the Cincinnati Bengals in hot water. Rookie wide receiver Jermaine Burton was scratched for missing a team walkthrough before Sunday’s 41-21 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
A photo of the 23-year-old playing slots at the Hard Rock Casino in the Cincinnati area then made the rounds on social media. It wasn’t known when the photo was taken over the weekend, but adds to the controversy missing the walkthrough caused.
“We just got to handle our business the right way, and so I can sit here and say it was a difficult decision to make him inactive, but it was absolutely the right decision with all the information we had,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said after the win.
Burton has said he let his teammates down and has to do better. He attended the game in Las Vegas in street clothes and appeared to earn a look of annoyance from quarterback Joe Burrow at one point after dancing and smiling near the bench.
This clip speaks volumes. The self awareness from Jermaine Burton is laughably low. #Bengals pic.twitter.com/QEn8RImmOD
— Santori Miles (@Cincy_Suave2) November 4, 2024
“When you get to this point in your career, you’ve got to grow up,” veteran Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton said of the situation. “You’re a grown man. Nobody’s going to baby you anymore. We know how talented he is and how much he can help. But he has to grow up and just mature and realize he has to put the team over himself.”
The Bengals are 4-5 on the season and Burton has two catches for 87 yards this season. A former player for the University of Alabama, he was drafted in the third-round and is expected to be a helpful addition to the team.
