The Tennessee Titans have officially waived wide receiver Treylon Burks with an injury designation, signaling an abrupt and unfortunate conclusion to his tenure with the franchise. The move, announced on Monday, July 28, 2025, follows a fractured collarbone Burks sustained during a training camp practice just two days prior, on Saturday, July 26, 2025, as reported by NBC Sports and NFL.com. This latest setback underscores a career consistently plagued by injuries, preventing the former first-round pick from realizing his full potential in Nashville.
Burks arrived in Tennessee with significant expectations, selected 18th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. This high-value pick was notably acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles in a blockbuster trade that sent Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown to Philadelphia. The decision to trade Brown, rather than sign him to a long-term deal, placed immense pressure on Burks to step into a primary receiving role and become a cornerstone of the Titans’ offense. However, the ambitious plan to replace Brown’s production with Burks’s development never fully materialized, drawing increasing scrutiny as Brown thrived with the Eagles.
Throughout his three seasons with the Titans, Burks’s career was a testament to unfulfilled potential, largely due to a relentless string of injuries. He was limited to just 27 games over this period, with only 22 appearances across his first two seasons, according to NBC Sports. His rookie year in 2022, while showing flashes, saw him record 33 receptions for 444 yards and one touchdown, which ultimately remained his career-high in receiving yards. That season was also interrupted by a turf toe injury that landed him on injured reserve, as detailed by Wikipedia.
The challenges persisted into the 2023 season, where he played in 11 games, managing 16 receptions for 221 yards. During this time, he battled an LCL sprain and concussions, further hindering his ability to establish consistency. The 2024 campaign proved to be his most truncated, as he suffered a season-ending torn ACL during a special teams drill in October. He appeared in only five games that year, catching a mere four passes for 34 yards, per Pro-Football-Reference.com. Cumulatively, his NFL career statistics with the Titans stand at 53 receptions for 699 yards and two total touchdowns (one receiving, one fumble recovery). His consistent inability to stay on the field and produce at the level expected of a top-20 draft pick became a defining and unfortunate narrative.
The Titans’ decision to waive Burks with an injury designation initiates a standard NFL process. He will now go through waivers, giving the other 31 NFL teams an opportunity to claim him. Should he clear waivers, he will revert to the Titans’ injured reserve list. At that juncture, it is widely anticipated that the team will negotiate an injury settlement, which would effectively release him from the roster and allow him to become a free agent once he recovers from his fractured collarbone, as explained by NFL.com.
In a corresponding roster move, the Titans have signed wide receiver Ramel Keyton, a former University of Tennessee standout who previously spent time with the Las Vegas Raiders, according to TennesseeTitans.com. For Burks, the 2025 season was widely considered a “make-or-break” year. He had reportedly been motivated to “prove myself right” and had even returned ahead of schedule from his 2024 ACL injury, fueling optimism for a bounce-back campaign. However, the fractured collarbone abruptly halted these aspirations and ultimately led to his release. Burks now faces the arduous task of rehabilitating yet another significant injury and seeking a fresh start with a new organization, while the Titans look to solidify their receiving corps without their ill-fated 2022 first-round investment.
