ClutchPoints
The Cincinnati Bengals will be ready to make up for lost time during the 2025 NFL season. Cincinnati got off to a rough start in 2024 and it ended up costing them a spot in the playoffs. Despite the fact that Cincinnati got a career season out of Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase won the triple crown.
Now the Bengals have restocked the roster with talent on both sides of the ball. If they could only manage to get their top two edge rushers on the practice field, then they would be all set.
If the Bengals want to make it back to the playoffs in 2025, they’ll need all hands on deck. They may even need some young players to take a huge step forward this season.
But which players could step up to the plate?
Below we will explore three underrated Bengals players who could break out during the 2025 NFL season.
The Bengals had high hopes for Jermaine Burton when they selected him in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Burton has all the tools necessary to become a lethal deep threat in the NFL. This is something that could unlock Cincinnati’s offense and make them even more dangerous. Unfortunately, Burton has some struggles that held him back during his rookie season.
Burton entered the NFL with off the field question marks. Those concerns amplified with the Bengals. Burton was a healthy scratch in Week 9 after missing a walk-through day. He also faced multiple allegations of assault from a woman he was dating during the season.
As a result, Burton’s entire NFL career came into question.
But it looks like Burton may finally have his head on straight.
By his own admission, Burton is much more locked into the team’s offseason program than he was last year. He seems to understand the important of the 2025 season to his NFL career.
“I’m really focused on this year, focused on this team, focused on what I could do for them and focused on creating a better relationship with my guys,” Burton said via ESPN’s Ben Baby. “That’s all I’m pretty much worried about.”
Burton’s diligence has already caught the attention of QB Joe Burrow, who desperately wants Burton to succeed.
“[He] has taken it very seriously,” Burrow said on May 20. “Has matured, it seems like. That’s exciting to see. Based on the conversations that we have had, he’s in a good spot mentally and physically. And he’s been working hard, which is exciting to see.”
If the Bengals can finally get what they expected out of Burton, it could transform their offense.
Cincinnati already has Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins locked up for a long time. Adding Burton on top could make the Bengals almost impossible to stop on offense when they get into rhythm.
Bengals fans should keep their eyes on Burton throughout the summer and monitor his snaps at the beginning...
