Does Treylon Burks feature in the Titans’ future plans?

For a third straight season, WR Treylon Burks was hampered by injury. And now, three years into his NFL career, it’s increasingly unlikely he’ll ever become a key player for the Titans.

Granted, expectations of the Michigan-native wideout may have been unrealistically high. He was, after all, part of a trade that saw AJ Brown depart for Philadelphia, much to the chagrin of the fanbase. Irrespective, a total of 34 receiving yards from 5 games aren’t the statistics fans would hope to expect from a former first-round pick in his third season.

Injuries are of course part and parcel of the NFL. However, Burks’ inability to keep healthy has further piled on speculation that he will no longer feature in Tennessee’s plans moving forward. With decreasing productivity each season, and few major plays to recall, it’s perhaps time for the 24-year-old to move on.

Across the board, the Titans have endured a number of woes this season. Inconsistency, poor performances and debatable playcalls have helped to define a frustrating inaugural season of the Brian Callahan-era.

Coupled with his limited opportunities to take to the field, Burks had already lost his spot to the incoming Tyler Boyd and Calvin Ridley before the season kicked off. Conceivably then, the former Arkansas Razorback became a victim of circumstance long before his most recent injury and any window in which to step up had already been closed on him. 

Tyler Boyd and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine are both impending free agents, but regardless if they move on it’s doubtful Burks would step into their cleats. Feasibly, Burks could relish the opportunity to develop his game elsewhere. That narrative is certainly one you can expect to be spun should the Titans attempt to move him on before long.

It’s an intriguing time for the Titans. Mike Borgonzi has recently been appointed as the new GM, they hold the number one draft pick and they have a healthy cap space. Borgonzi, who moves to Nashville after 16 years with the Chiefs, certainly has options to reshape their WR corps.

Burks carries a cap hit of just over $4.5 million. A release won’t totally be out of the question, but a likely scenario is that he’ll remain on the roster until his contract is up, unless he can add value as a bargaining piece in any potential trade deal. But in order for that to happen, the recipient team needs faith that he can reach his previously promised ceiling.