The player the Titans tabbed to be their hopeful A.J. Brown replacement, Treylon Burks has not panned out. The 2022 first-round pick has battled injuries regularly and has not made a tremendous impact when available.
It should come as no surprise to see the Titans decline Burks’ fifth-year option. Now two GMs removed from the exec who selected Burks (Jon Robinson), Tennessee is expected to decline Burks’, per football ops president Chad Brinker (via ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport).
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No official announcement has been made, but considering Burks’ career path and the cost to exercise this option, no drama exists here. Burks missed most of last season due to injury, and although he is only eligible for the bottom-tier option price at his position, a $15.49MM guarantee will be a non-starter for the Brinker-Mike Borgonzi regime.
The Titans drafted Burks 18th overall, doing so with the Eagles’ No. 18 overall pick. A less-than-thrilled Mike Vrabel, as it seemed at the time, moved forward with Burks along with Robinson. But the Arkansas product has not come close to justifying the selection. As Brown has become a locked-in No. 1 wide receiver in Philadelphia, Burks has totaled just 699 career receiving yards. The big-bodied target has one career touchdown reception, and it came in 2022.
Entering the NFL after two productive Razorbacks seasons, Burks missed time during his first Titans offseason. He then missed six games apiece in each of his first two seasons. Burks, 25, is coming off an ACL tear. The Titans on IR in mid-October, but word on the injury’s severity did not come until December. It was then revealed Burks underwent ACL surgery. Brinker said the fourth-year receiver is still rehabbing.
Robinson’s tenure produced four playoff berths and a number of winning seasons, but it also included first-round misfires. Burks, Caleb Farley (2021) and Isaiah Wilson (2020) factored into the Titans’ decision to can Robinson late in 2022; so did the Brown trade. The Titans fired Ran Carthon after two years, elevating Brinker. Carthon signee Calvin Ridley remains Tennessee’s top receiver, but the team added Tyler Lockett as a complementary piece before the draft. The Titans, who also added Van Jefferson in free agency, then used fourth-round picks on Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike to help round out Cam Ward‘s receiving corps. It remains to be seen if Burks will be part of that cadre.