CINCINNATI — Jermaine Burton and Tee Higgins are both in a better place than they were when the 2024 season came to an end.
When the Bengals held on for the 19-17 win in Pittsburgh on Jan. 4, Tee Higgins had four catches for 53 yards and had made it through a season limited to 12 games, 73 catches, 911 yards and 10 touchdowns by hamstring and quadriceps injuries. He was playing on a one-year franchise tag and had no idea at that time whether his next catch would be in stripes.
Burton was held off the traveling party to Pittsburgh altogether for missing meetings during the week leading up to the biggest game of the season. The rookie receiver with loads of raw talent had been having trouble throughout the season showing up on time for meetings and practice and had already been disciplined once for not showing up for an in-season team activity.
Then came the off-the-field issues that involved an alleged domestic dispute, charges of breaking into his girlfriend’s apartment and two reported apartment evictions.
The Bengals have a history of sticking with young talented players and give them a chance to figure things out by giving them an expanded support system. This was the case with Burton, who returned to Paycor this spring committed to showing the team he’s maturing and grateful for the second chance.
In return, Burton says Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase have taken him under their wing, talking with him, checking in on him and making sure he’s doing what it takes to earn reps in OTAs, practice, training camp and eventually games. Burrow and Chase have already thrown their support behind Burton after witnessing the growth and commitment they say they’ve seen in him this spring.
All it took for Burton to get his reward was showing up and doing the work. Higgins’ payout came with more patience and trust. But eventually, he was shown faith from the organization also – to the tune of a four-year, $115 million contract, with $40.9 million guaranteed.
Higgins said this week that he used some of that money to buy a new house. Burton is trying to sell the Bengals on his commitment and consistency in becoming a reliable NFL receiver on and off the field.
Burton is a fascinating study in what he could be for the Bengals if he gets in the right mind space this season. He caught just four balls in 14 games last season. But they totaled 107 yards for a remarkable 26.8 yards per catch. He had catches of 47 and 41 yards in losses to Kansas City and Philadelphia, ironically against the two Super Bowl teams. But he just wasn’t developed as a route runner and caught just four passes all year on 14 targets. He was in on 131 offensive snaps or 14.1 percent of the offensive plays all season.
Burton could beat opponents with his speed but not his nuance. He proved he could get deep fast, which certainly helps Burrow. But if he can’t run intermediate or hot routes correctly, then he won’t be on the field. Clearly given one more chance to rehab his image internally, he’s got to prove to everyone he’s going to refine his game and his work habits.
Higgins’ advice to Burton starts with showing up for meetings ready to learn.
“Honestly, just stay focused in the meeting rooms,” Higgins said. “And whatever you put into the meeting rooms, you’re gonna get out on the field, and he’s been doing that this off season, and a lot of progress has been made by him, and I look forward to seeing him play this year.”
Higgins said he’s seen enough to believe that Burton will take a major jump this season.
“At the end of the day, you got to win on your routes. You’ve got to catch the ball and ball out, but first it starts in the film room. When a coach asks you a question, you got to know it. You got to know consistency in that aspect. So he’s been on it, and I’m really proud of him, and he’s coming in to a real NFL star, potentially.”
If Burton does turn a corner, the potential is limitless for the passing game. The Bengals could truly have game breakers at every level and every position X,Y and Z. It’s a big hypothetical right now – all potential – but the Bengals clearly believe it’s potential worth betting on.
“He can make a big difference,” Higgins told me. “Y’all seen it last year versus Kansas City, the big plays that he was making. He’s a guy that can go out there and really play. So we’re looking forward to him coming on strong this year and definitely helping us out.”
But before stepping on the field or back into the weight room inside Paycor, Burton had to show teammates, coaches and the organization that he was sorry for how 2024 ended.
“Nobody should be happy with it, and I was very disappointed. But it’s something that I moved on from and grew from. And I can’t wait. I’m really looking forward to this year,”
Burton knew reflection was a must if he was going to truly rehab his image before teammates and coaches and the organization.
“I had sleepless nights, honestly, just sitting there thinking,” Burton told me. “I can sit there and just think about football all night, and it’s just something that I love and something that I really enjoy doing. So I want to do the best that I can to be the better player I can be.”
But Burton said he’s not looking at this season as a second chance but rather a chance to show the team how much he’s grown and how he can help.
“I won’t look at it like a (second) chance. I just look at it like they’re my coaches, and they really believe in me,” Burton said. “It’s very important. As a team, we have one goal – we really want to win a Super Bowl. So, everybody in this locker room has worked their ass off this offseason to become the best player that they can be, better habits and better routines for everybody. It’s all about just falling in line with it, everybody being on the same page.”
Then there’s Higgins. The star receiver entering his sixth season earned big money in the offseason with Ja’Marr Chase. But a large portion of that $115 million deal has per-game incentives because everyone knows that he’s had a difficult time throughout parts of his career staying on the field and avoiding soft tissue injuries.
“Just been doing a lot of things with my trainer and just trying to prevent those injuries from happening,” Higgins said. “So, yeah, feel great.”
Whether it’s Burton or Higgins or Chase or Burrow, the message is clear, the offense needs to be performing at a very high level. And Higgins said this week that offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher is seeing to that.
“He’s a guy that’s an attention to detail type guy,” Higgins said. “If you don’t got the attention to detail, he’s definitely gonna let you know, and that’s what we want. We want a guy that comes in and wants us to pay attention to detail. He definitely got us going right now. He wants to start fast every single practice.”
Could Higgins, Chase and Burrow be the three offensive captains this year? All three were game captains for the final five weeks, coinciding with the five-game streak to end the season.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t mind it, but hey, it’s my teammates decision,” Higgins said with a wide smile. “I mean, I’m not really that much of a vocal leader. I’m more of a leader by example-type guy. But if my teammates choose that would be a great honor.”
Higgins knows that for the 2025 Bengals to reach the summit they need him to be at his peak, and that means putting high octane fuel in his “Ferrari” of a body.
“Right now, my goal is to put my best foot forward to help this team win and and do what they pay me to do. So you can only put a certain kind of gas in your Ferrari.”
“Looking back on the last year, y’all seen my Shake Shack video. So I put regular gas in the Ferrari, a little bit. But you know, I’m back. I’m back on my 93 (octane). But it’s very important to keep the nutrition right, because we’re performing at high levels every single day. So definitely got to have it right.”
If he’s right, Higgins believes a hall of fame honor could be awaiting him down the road.
“(There’s) always the next step,” Higgins said. “I feel like it’s always the next step until shoot, if I’m in Hall of Fame, you know? I mean, if I ain’t there, then it’s always the next step, for sure. That’s got to be the goal of anyone that’s playing, to be one of the greats.”
With Chase, Higgins, Andrei Iosivas, Burton and Charlie Jones, Joe Burrow will have a wealth of receivers at the ready. The offense looks great on paper. But what about the defense?
Next week will be a time to focus on that as mandatory minicamp is set to begin Tuesday at Paycor. Will Trey Hendrickson be there? Will Shemar Stewart be signed and on the field? Will the Bengals add to the safety room?
Stay tuned.
