Bills invite former Bengals third-round pick to rookie minicamp

TL;DR

The Buffalo Bills have invited former Bengals third-round pick Jermaine Burton to their rookie minicamp on May 9-10. Burton aims to secure a spot on the team after a challenging start to his NFL career.

Key points

Jermaine Burton invited to Bills rookie minicamp
Burton was a third-round pick by the Bengals
He did not play in any games in 2025
Burton was waived after a suspension for conduct issues
Minicamp runs from May 9-10

Mentioned in this story

Pittsburgh

Cincinnati BengalsBuffalo Bills

Jermaine Burton's time with the Cincinnati Bengals ended before kickoff against the Buffalo Bills. Now, he's trying to play for the Bills.

Burton isn't your typical rookie minicamp invitee. He isn't even a rookie.

The Buffalo Bills have invited Burton to their rookie minicamp, which runs May 9-10, giving the former third-round pick a chance to earn a spot after a short and turbulent stint to his NFL career. NFL reporter Jordan Schultz first reported the news.

Burton did not appear in a game in 2025. He was a healthy scratch for most of the year. The Bengals suspended him less than two hours before their Week 14 game against Buffalo for team conduct reasons. Cincinnati waived him the next day, Dec. 8, and he wasn't claimed by another team.

Burton, 24, was selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. As a rookie, he finished with four receptions for 107 yards and added 13 kickoff returns for 378 yards. He was a healthy scratch once for missing a team walkthrough, and did not travel with the team for their season finale in Pittsburgh in 2024.

Off the field, Burton was involved in an alleged domestic incident with his ex-girlfriend in January 2025. The woman told police that Burton broke into her home and choked her. She declined to press charges.