Some players have longer leashes than others. No one is going to be calling for Jake Browning, or questioning Joe Burrow’s status as a starter if the star quarterback has a couple of bad games. Not all players have earned that leeway, though.

Here’s a look at two Bengals players who likely won’t have a long leash in 2025.

Jermaine Burton, Wide receiver

Jermaine Burton is only entering his second season in the NFL, but he’s already on thin ice in Cincinnati, as the Alabama product 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. His off-field missteps negatively impacted his on-field availability. No franchise wants that.

Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin basically sent a warning to Burton after the conclusion of the ’24 campaign.

“He’s done nothing, and he’s going to have to start doing something quickly,” Tobin replied when asked what Burton had done to deserve a roster spot. “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. 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.”

That’s about as clear as an executive can be. Burton has to figure things out in 2025, and he won’t have a very long leash to do so.

Joseph Ossai, Defensive end

The Bengals brought back Joseph Ossai on a one-year deal in free agency, but they made no long-term investment in him, and could easily look in a different direction if Ossai continues to underwhelm.

Cincinnati was probably hoping that Ossai would have developed into a solidified starter by now, but that just hasn’t happened. Ossai has shown some flashes over the course of his three-year career, including recroding a career-high five sacks last season, but there hasn’t been much consistency.

It’s safe to assume that the Bengals will look to add an edge rusher, or two, in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, and they could still add one in free agency also. New faces could challenge Ossai for playing time if he starts slow. I wouldn’t expect the coaching staff to have a ton of patience when it comes to Ossai in 2025.