Bengals' Jermaine Burton saga gets a little stranger in Week 13

The Cincinnati Bengals effectively told fans the Jermaine Burton era was over last weekend when the former third-round pick couldn’t break free of the inactives list while Ja’Marr Chase served his suspension.

Ahead of kickoff before the Thanksgiving game against the Baltimore Ravens, the Burton saga got a little stranger.

There, the Bengals issued the final injury report and said Burton was out for the game against the Ravens with an ankle injury.

The thing is, Burton wasn’t listed on the injury report all week and the final day of practice was, by all accounts, a mild one, given the short turnaround from a Sunday game to a Thursday night.

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Obviously, Burton could actually be hurt. But the sudden switch up to his status is notable just days after he sat on the inactives list while Mitchell Tinsley leapfrogged him for playing time with Chase out.

Earlier this year, a report said the Bengals don’t trust Burton, who was reportedly late for a practice back in Week 4. That, after the bevy of issues during his rookie season last year.

Going into the game against the Ravens, Burton won’t get a chance to play with Tee Higgins out. And based on how things have gone this year, he might not get a chance over the final five games, either, even if the Bengals fall out of playoff contention.

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This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals' Jermaine Burton saga gets a little stranger in Week 13