Any Perks to Burks?

After the agonising loss vs the Bears on Monday Night Football, the Commanders have an opportunity to bounce back with a road trip to Dallas for the week 7 match-up.

The roster continues to be injury-hit – it was hoped that WR1 Terry McLaurin would have recovered from the quad injury that he picked up week three vs the Raiders, but Scary stays on the sidelines. And with fellow receivers Noah Brown on IR and Deebo Samuel carrying an ankle problem respectively, the Commanders signed Treylon Burks, who was officially released by the Tennessee Titans on October 7^th, to the practice squad.

Burks, drafted 18th overall by the Titans in the 2022 NFL Draft, faced several challenges during his tenure in Tennessee, including injuries and limited production – is this desperation from the burgundy & gold? Perhaps, but in true NFL-cliché mode this can be described as ‘low risk, high reward’.

Here at UKHTTC, founder Christian Burt summarises a reach out to the Tennessee Titans UK and asks if Burks might succeed in Washington.

When you look back at Treylon Burks’ time in Tennessee, what do you think was the biggest factor that kept him from living up to expectations — injuries, scheme fit, or something else?

The biggest issue was really a combination of factors, but injuries were the main one. From the start, Burks was under huge pressure — he was drafted in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft (18th overall) out of Arkansas to replace A.J. Brown, a fan favourite who’d just been traded to Philadelphia. That’s a tough situation for any young receiver, and the comparisons didn’t help.

Physically, Burks had all the tools — size, strength, and run-after-catch ability that made him dominant in college — but he struggled to stay healthy. Across three seasons in Tennessee, he missed multiple games each year and often left others early due to various injuries. Those setbacks prevented him from ever building real momentum or chemistry with his quarterbacks.

He was targeted 54 times in his rookie season (11 games), catching 33 passes for 444 yards and a touchdown, but his involvement dropped in later years — just 38 targets over 16 games in his second season, for example.

How much of Burks’ struggles were on him versus the Titans’ offensive environment — the quarterback instability, the play calling, or the shift in coaching staff?

It’s probably a mix, but more of it comes down to circumstance than attitude. The Titans’ offense went through a lot of transition during Burks’ time — shifting between Ryan Tannehill, Malik Willis, and later Will Levis at quarterback. That instability made it hard for any receiver to thrive, let alone one still developing his timing and confidence.

The offensive scheme was also heavily built around Derrick Henry and the ground game, meaning fewer opportunities for wide receivers to shine. Play-calling wasn’t particularly aggressive in terms of getting Burks open in space or maximizing his yards-after-catch ability, which was a big part of what made him special at Arkansas.

So while Burks does bear some responsibility for his inconsistent production, the offensive environment wasn’t exactly set up to help him succeed either.

Did you ever see flashes that suggested Burks could still be a productive NFL receiver, or had the coaching staff already moved on mentally before this offseason?

Definitely. There were moments that reminded everyone why he was a first-round pick. One that stands out was his spectacular touchdown catch against the Eagles in 2022 — he held onto the ball after taking a big hit to the head, showing real toughness and concentration. Plays like that showed what he’s capable of when healthy.

But as time went on, it felt like the coaching staff’s patience began to wear thin. The team added other receivers and shifted focus, and Burks seemed to slide further down the pecking order. Still, his talent is obvious — he just hasn’t had the continuity or health to put it all together.

How did Burks’ relationship with coaches and teammates come across — was he viewed as a hard worker who just couldn’t stay healthy, or were there behind-the-scenes frustrations?

From everything I saw and heard, Burks was viewed as a hard worker. He battled through a few asthma issues early on, which affected his conditioning at times, but he wasn’t known as a locker-room problem or a bad teammate. The main frustration was just his availability — not attitude or effort.

His teammates respected the way he tried to fight through adversity. Coaches wanted him to succeed, but at some point, constant injuries make it hard for a team to rely on you. It wasn’t personal — just unfortunate.

If you were advising Washington fans on what to realistically expect from Burks, what would you tell them — redemption arc potential or depth piece trying to hang on?

I’d call it a bit of both — but there’s real redemption potential if he can stay healthy.

After three injury-plagued seasons in Tennessee, a change of scenery could be exactly what he needs.

If he can do that, he still has the tools to contribute meaningfully. But for now, expectations should be tempered. It’s about getting healthy, regaining rhythm, and showing flashes of the player who dominated at Arkansas, where he posted 1,104 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final season before entering the draft.