Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton has been ruled out for Saturday’s pivotal matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, ESPN reported. Burton did not travel to Pittsburgh with the team due to a coach’s decision.

The Bengals will face the challenge of playing without Burton, their primary kick returner, as they fight to secure a playoff spot.

Burton also sat out a game earlier this season

This is not the first game Burton has missed this season. The rookie also sat out the Bengals’ Week 9 game against the Las Vegas Raiders, despite not being injured. Sources told ESPN that Burton skipped the team’s walk-through the day before that game.

“As the week unfolded, there was a lot of positive things people were saying about him,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said at the time, per ESPN. “It was all true. And then late in the week … we’ve just got to handle business the right way. And so, I can sit here and say it was a difficult decision to make him inactive, but it was absolutely the right decision with all the information we had.”

Taylor also commented after drafting Burton in the spring that the rookie had room for growth. “There’s certainly maturity things that come with some of these guys coming out of these colleges, and that’s one of the things he’ll continue to grow with,” Taylor said, according to ESPN.

Off-field challenges for Jermaine Burton

Burton’s challenges extend beyond the field. According to Hamilton County, Ohio, court records, he is facing legal issues, including a lawsuit and eviction notice from his apartment’s landlord.

Rookie performance highlights

Despite these setbacks, Burton has shown flashes of potential during his rookie season. He has caught four passes for 107 yards and ranks 10th in the NFL with an average of 29.1 yards per kickoff return.

The Bengals will need to find a way to adapt as they move forward without their rookie wide receiver in Saturday’s crucial matchup.