Cincinnati Bengals rookie wide receiver Jermaine Burton, 23, is facing accusations of assaulting and choking a 19-year-old woman he was dating, according to police reports. Despite the allegations, the woman declined to press charges, as reported by The Cincinnati Enquirer.

The incident allegedly took place on December 29, following an argument between Burton and the woman. According to the police report, Burton met the woman at her apartment, refused to let her inside, and subsequently chased her, assaulted her, and broke her phone. The woman claimed Burton also held a knife to his neck, threatening to harm himself.

During a 911 call on the morning of December 30, the woman described the situation, stating, “Jermaine Burton just broke into my house. He broke my phone and has been abusive. He does things I don’t tolerate.” She detailed how Burton had prevented her from entering her apartment, choked her in the hallway, and then followed her upstairs after she managed to get inside.

The woman also alleged that Burton had broken her phone twice within the past month. She recounted how he grabbed a knife from her dishwasher, held it to his neck, and threatened suicide.

When police arrived at the scene, Burton had already left, leaving the knife behind. While the woman initially expressed a desire to press charges, she later decided against it.

The Bengals issued a statement acknowledging the situation: “We are aware of information related to Jermaine Burton. We will continue to evaluate as we gather additional details and will have no further comment at this time.”

Burton, who began his college football career at Georgia before transferring to Alabama, was selected by the Bengals in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, he has recorded four receptions for 107 yards over 14 games, including one start.

The incident occurred just days before the Bengals’ final regular-season game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 4. Burton did not travel with the team for the game, with the organization citing it as a coach’s decision.

The situation has raised concerns both within the Bengals organization and among fans as the team navigates the next steps in handling these serious allegations.