Treylon

Burks

Coach Callahan made it a point that Burks will have to find his spots on the field by way of special teams. “If he’s one of those guys on game day, we’re going to have to find a place for him” said Callahan. Burks does have experience as a kick and punt returner during his college days, but Callahan spoke specifically about the gunner role on the punt team (for Burks). With Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins and Tyler Boyd as the Titans’ top three wideouts, Burks has work to do before he returns to the receiving rotation.

According to Callahan, the signing of Tyler Boyd didn’t have anything to do with Burks’ performance, or lack thereof — which he shared with Burks after the signing. Regardless of what Boyd’s signing means for Burks, it’s hard to overlook his familiarity with Callahan’s system and the fact that he’s a veteran who has provided multiple years of high-end production. In addition to Boyd, Burks also has to find a way to earn targets with DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley both on the roster. Burks has dealt with injuries throughout his brief career and has a career receiving line of 49-665-1, spanning over 22 career games. It’s difficult to imagine Burks earning enough opportunities to become fantasy-relevant in 2024, but time will tell as we begin to learn more about how he’s being used in training camp.

This sounds like a nice way of saying that Burks, who was drafted No. 18 overall in 2022, will have a lot of work to do if he hopes to earn meaningful opportunities this season. Burks will once again compete with DeAndre Hopkins for targets this season, but the Titans also went out and added Calvin Ridley to the roster to give Will Levis a dynamic pair of wideouts to work with. Head coach Brian Callahan didn’t mention Burks when naming potential slot receivers in his offense earlier in the week, which could be a sign that the team doesn’t have any immediate plans for him. Dynasty managers still holding Burks may once again be left waiting for him to hit in what will be his third year in the league.

For the second year in a row, Burks entered Week 1 after a tumultuous offseason. Last year, Burks struggled with his conditioning and suffered a few knicks and bruises while playing late into preseason games. This time around, he suffered a sprained LCL that nearly knocked him out for the Titans’ Week 1 opener. He played through the injury but was quickly sidelined with a new knee issue after just a few games. Burks later missed time with a concussion. He ended the year with 16 catches for 221 yards. He did not score once and failed to top three catches in a game. Burks has just 665 receiving yards through two seasons. The Titans will likely add more talent at receiver via the draft and should retain DeAndre Hopkins after the veteran topped 1,000 yards in 2023. Burks will enter his third pro campaign in desperate need of a breakout. The 2024 season will be a true make-or-break for the former first-round pick.

Burks had a long shot from Will Levis glance off his hands early in the game and was hardly heard from for the remainder of the contest. The second-year receiver hasn’t caught more than three balls in a game this season. He doesn’t look likely to cross that threshold in Week 18 versus the Jags either.

Burks returned from a serious concussion issue in Week 13 but was held without a catch. He got in the box score this week, though not in a meaningful way for fantasy purposes. It’s good to see Burks’ role growing as his second NFL season nears an end, but fantasy managers can look elsewhere as the fantasy playoffs get under way.

This could be nothing, or it could be something. Burks missed three straight games after suffering a concussion in Week 9 against the Steelers and hadn’t played fewer than 51 percent of snaps in any game prior to Week 13. It’s possible the Titans were easing Burks back into the lineup after nearly a month away, but the former first-round pick can’t afford to miss time down the stretch. He’s caught eight passes for 122 yards in six games this season and will likely finish with an underwhelming performance for the second straight season. His snaps will be something to monitor next week when the Titans take on the Dolphins.

Burks was active for the first time since suffering a concussion in Week 9, but he wasn’t involved in the offense at all. He was not targeted once on 33 Will Levis pass attempts. Burks will likely be more involved as he gets his legs back under him, but fantasy managers shouldn’t burn a bench spot waiting for that to happen. Burks is not on the fantasy radar heading into Week 14.

Burks suffered the concussion in Week 9 and has been out ever since. He returned to practice this week and was upgraded to a full session by Friday. He still needed a final signoff from doctors as of Friday, hence the questionable tag, but appears to have gotten it. Burks will return as a fantasy WR4, offering much more utility to a Titans offense that has desperately needed a second receiving option than he does for fantasy rosters.

Per head coach Mike Vrabel, Burks still needs to get a final signoff from medical personnel before being cleared to return. Back-to-back full practices to close the week suggest he will be cleared before Sunday. Burks will return to the lineup as the Titans’ WR2. On a run-first team, that player doesn’t hold much fantasy value. He will, however, provide Will Levis with a notable upgrade at receiver against a solid Colts’ pass-defense.