An ego problem in sports

By Trevor Speetzen January 04, 2025 22:53

Photo by USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It was just recently announced that Cincinnati Bengals rookie wide receiver Jermaine Burton will not travel with the team for their final regular season game of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Burton was drafted by the Bengals this past offseason and there were reports of drafting comes with baggage. Burton was drafted in the third round of the 2024 draft out of Alabama.

Burton’s rookie year has been underwhelming to say the least. As a receiver and return specialist, Burton has had four catches for 107 yards along with 199 return yards.

Not only has Burton underperformed on the field, his actions off the field have raised many eyebrows. Burton was also benched earlier this season on a Nov. 3 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Coach Zac Taylor explained Burton’s benching was due to him not “handle his business” during the week leading up to the game. In addition to his benching, Burton has failed to earn the trust of his teammates and coaches.

Burton has also failed to prove to the Cincinnati Bengals organization that he is capable of being a professional in the NFL. Burton has missed walkthroughs, meetings and practices this season which has likely contributed to his benching.

It has been reported that Ja'Marr Chase quit mentoring Burton in November due to the latter’s accountability issues and not taking responsibility.

Leading up to the draft, the Bengals expressed interest in taking Washington wide receiver Jalen McMillian over Burton, but ultimately the Bengals decided to take Burton.

McMillian was eventually drafted 12 picks later by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and has accumulated 32 catches for 387 yards with seven touchdowns. Compared to Burton’s statline, it seems that Cincinnati’s experiment with the receiver has failed.

While some may attribute Burton's attitude as a down-on-his-luck rookie who’s having a hard time adjusting to the NFL, it may go deeper than that. While Burton may be a rookie, he’s still an adult who has an adult responsibility.

It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to compete in the NFL and it looks like Burton is about to squander that. It seems that Burton was unable to adjust his ego to fit in with the NFL and felt that the law of the league didn’t apply to him.

While Burton may never get another shot in the league, he’s still set for life. He’s already an NFL contract worth millions of dollars and likely made a lot of money through NIL in college. If a third round rookie like Burton couldn’t check his ego, then what will that look like in the future.

Prior to the days where rookies were paid handsomely, rookies had to earn their stripes when they first entered the professional league. Nowadays, rookies who enter the professional leagues are looked at as saviors.

It can create an unwanted ego problem in professional sports that could have a negative effect on the quality of play. While there will be more players like Burton in the future, the question is how many will there be?