Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton had his fair share of struggles — both on and off the field — during his rookie season.

Burton struggled just to get on the field. and he wasn’t especially productive when he did, as he recorded just four receptions for 107 yards on the campaign. Unfortunately, off-field issues overshadowed anything he did in between the lines, which was a concern for the receiver coming out of college.

The rookie receiver was benched for Cincinnati’s Week 9 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders after missing a practice. Afterwards, veteran cornerback Mike Hilton called Burton out for immaturity. Burton was also accused of assault earlier this year. So again, not the best start.

Despite struggles, the Bengals aren’t yet ready to give up on Jermaine Burton

Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said as much while speaking with media members at the annual NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this week, though he also acknowledged that Burton needs to take control of his own career.

“He’s an immensely talented guy,” Tobin said of Burton. “We’re not giving up on him, but he’s gonna have to start showing it now — he’s gonna have to take the next step in his career…” Tobin said. “I like Jermaine… He’s gonna have to want it for himself more than I want it for him.”

Allow us to read between the lines here. It sure sounds like the Bengals are going to continue to hope that he can mature and realize his full potential out on the field, but Burton is clearly on thin ice. Another off-field incident, or a continued lack of on-field production could quickly spell the end of his tenure in Cincinnati.

These latest comments from Tobin come on the heels of harsher comments he made regarding Burton last month, when he said that Burton had done “nothing” to deserve a spot on Cincinnati’s roster.

“We knew we were taking a risk. We felt comfortable that we could help him through some of the challenges he’s had in the past, and we’re going to continue to try to help him,” Tobin said at the time. “But this is professional football, and you have to take accountability, and you have to be accountable to your teammates, your coaches, and the team that you’re playing for, and he has to figure that out.”

Burton has officially been put on notice. The Bengals are still there for him, but you only get so many opportunities in the NFL, and he’s already burned on. He’s already on his proverbial second strike in Cincinnati, and he likely won’t get a third.