CHICAGO – Cincinnati Bengals rookie wide receiver Jermaine Burton didn’t have to dive too far into his memory when a reporter asked him the last time he returned a punt or a kickoff in a game.
“Never,” he said.
Until today.
“It was good. It was dope,” Burton said of his first taste of being a return man.
Bengals Coach Zac Taylor Not Hinting at Long-Term Plan for Jermaine Burton
When the Bengals’ backups on defense held No. 1 pick Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears’ starting offense to a three-and-out on their opening drive of today’s 27-3 defeat, Burton was the player head coach Zac Taylor and special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons sent back to field the punt.
And he ripped off a 23-yard return.
Unfortunately, rookie Daijahn Anthony got called for a facemask penalty that negated the return.
Burton’s second punt return was a modest 7-yard return, but he also fielded each of Chicago’s first two kickoffs and returned each one 29 yards.
Among players with at least two returns this preseason, Burton’s 29.0-yard average ranks fifth.
“I’ve always felt like I could and had the potential to do it,” Burton said. “I just tried to take advantage of it and did what I needed to do. It was fun.”
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The Bengals approached Burton about it earlier this week, and he was in the rotation fielding both kickoffs and punts in the pouring rain during the joint practice with the Bears on Thursday.
He dropped one punt he attempted to fair catch.
“It was definitely some adversity,” Burton said. “Not only just trying to jump into something new, but in those conditions. You’ve just got to go along with it and do your best.”
It was during that rainy practice that the Bengals lost kickoff returner and backup running back Chris Evans to a season-ending patellar tendon injury.
And neither Charlie Jones nor Trenton Irwin, the team’s regular punt returners, played today against the Bears.
Taylor didn’t offer much after the game in terms of the long-term plans for Burton as a returner.
“It’s preseason,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to evaluate everybody.”
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With the Bengals expected to rest most of their starters again Thursday in the preseason finale against the Indianapolis Colts, Burton could get some experience fielding and returning punts and kickoffs.
The team will hold two practices before that. The first will be Monday, and the second will be the joint session against the Colts on Tuesday.
Given how well Burton performed today, it’s likely he’ll get some reps in practice this week as well.
As far as weighing returning kicks and punts against each other, he said he couldn’t pick a favorite.
“I like them both,” Burton said. “I like the kickoff return with the new rules and how they’re closer. But I like the field being wide-open on punt returns. All of it was a lot of fun.”
