Bengals receiver's mysterious absence from season finale came days after alleged assault: report
Jermaine Burton did not travel with the Cincinnati Bengals over the weekend, and there now appears to be a reason why.
The Cincinnati Enquirer says it made a public records request to local police after the coaching staff decided Burton would not join the team for Saturday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The request yielded two reports and a recording of a 911 call made by a woman who claimed Burton assaulted her the morning of Dec. 30, three days before the game.
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The Enquirer reported the two had been out together and had gotten into an argument. Later on, Burton allegedly followed the woman to her apartment, choked her and stole her phone while also threatening to kill himself as he held a knife to his neck.
"Jermaine Burton on the Bengals just broke into my house," the woman said in the 911 call, according to the outlet. "He broke my phone. … He's been, like, pretty abusive. He does a lot of things that I don't tolerate."
The woman also told police Burton "broke into my house" and "hit me and left."
"We are aware of information related to Jermaine Burton. We will continue to evaluate as we gather additional details and will have no further comment at this time," the Bengals said in a statement.
While playing for Alabama in 2022, Burton allegedly struck a female Tennessee fan who had stormed the field after the Volunteers beat the Crimson Tide.
After the Bengals drafted Burton in the third round, possibly as an eventual replacement for Tee Higgins, head coach Zac Taylor said he felt "really comfortable" about selecting him despite concerns about his character.
Burton appeared in 14 games but was seldom on the field, never taking half of the offensive snaps in any contest. He was targeted just 14 times and made four receptions for 107 yards on the season.
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