CINCINNATI - While Cincinnati Bengals rookie third-round pick Jermaine Burton has struggled to get on the field with the offense, logging 10 or fewer snaps in 11 of 14 games, he is making an impact on special teams.
After his promising debut as a kick and punt returner in the preseason game at Chicago, Burton didn't make his first official kick return until Week 10 at Baltimore.
It only went for 17 yards, but since then he has averaged 30.6 yards on seven returns.
"It's gonna get higher," Burton predicted of his average. "I'm gonna get it up there these last couple weeks."
Even with the 17-yarder included, Burton's season average is 28.9.
If that stands, it will fall just below the top two marks in franchise history behind Adam Jones (31.26 in 2014) and Brandon Wilson (31.25 in 2019).
"I've been very pleased with what I've seen," Bengals special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons said. "That's a role that he's learned, he's embraced it and he's been effective at it."
Unfortunately for Burton, he probably won't qualify to be in the record book or counted among the season leaders because the league uses a criterium of 1.25 returns per team game played.
That would require Burton to have 21 kick returns, and he only has eight with just three games remaining.
But the fact that he's close to 30 yards per attempt when it's something he had never done prior to August is encouraging.
"I think he's doing a great job, especially for someone who has never done it before," said Charlie Jones, whose groin injury opened the door to more opportunities for Burton. "What he does well is he just uses his speed and doesn't hesitate. He just hits it.
"The more he sticks with it and gets comfortable, he's going to be a really good returner."
The Bengals drafted Burton to play receiver, but he was slow to grasp the nuances of the playbook and earn the trust of quarterback Joe Burrow in training camp.
Then came the week leading up to the Philadelphia game when he was late to Friday's walk-through and no-showed for Saturday's, leaving the coaches no choice but to make him inactive for the game.
But his teammates and coaches have been encouraged by the way he's bounced back from that situation, and kick returns are a way for him to contribute and prove himself when he's only getting a couple of snaps at receiver each game.
"I've really invested myself in it because looking at how things are going offensive-wise and waiting for my time and being patient, this is another way for me to get my hands on the ball and show that I'm a playmaker," Burton said.
"I just really enjoy returning kicks," he added. "I'm having a lot of run with it, and I want to keep it going regardless of what happens offensively. Even if it gets to a point next year where I'm playing a lot, I still want to go hard at kick returner."
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