Treylon Burks Gets New Opportunity: Commanders Sign Former Titans 1st Rounder to Practice Squad
Treylon Burks, the former first-round pick who couldn’t stay healthy long enough to order a pizza, has found himself a new home with the Washington Commanders’ practice squad. And honestly? Good for him.
The Arkansas product, who was supposed to be A.J. Brown’s replacement in Tennessee (spoiler alert: he wasn’t), cleared waivers faster than a Tom Brady retirement announcement gets retracted. But sometimes the best thing that can happen to a struggling player is getting the heck out of dodge, and that’s exactly what happened here.
Why the Commanders Took a Flyer on Treylon Burks
Let’s be real about Washington’s situation right now. Their receiver room looks like a MASH unit. Terry McLaurin is nursing a quad injury that’s kept him sidelined for three games. Deebo Samuel is dealing with a heel issue that has him hobbling around like he stepped on a LEGO barefoot. Noah Brown? He’s chilling on injured reserve.
When Chris Moore becomes your leading receiver in a game, catching three passes for 46 yards and a touchdown against Chicago, you know it’s time to make some phone calls. And apparently, one of those calls went to Burks’ agent.
The timing couldn’t be better for both sides. Washington needs bodies at receiver, and Burks needs a fresh start somewhere that isn’t constantly reminding him of his failures. It’s like when you change your gym membership after embarrassing yourself on the treadmill – sometimes you just need a clean slate.
The Treylon Burks Injury Timeline That Makes Your Head Spin
Here’s where things get fun (and by fun, I mean depressing if you’re a Burks fan). The 25-year-old has played just 27 career games over three seasons. Twenty-seven! That’s fewer games than some college players see in two seasons.
The injury list reads like a medical textbook. He tore his ACL during practice late last season, then somehow managed to break his collarbone in training camp just three months ago. It’s almost impressive how creative his body has been in finding new ways to break down.
The Physical Tools Are Still There
Let’s not forget what made Burks a first-round pick in the first place. The dude is 6-foot-2, 225 pounds of athletic ability. During his Arkansas days, he was a matchup nightmare who could line up anywhere and make plays. That doesn’t just disappear because you’ve had some bad luck with injuries.
The Commanders are getting a player with legitimate NFL size and college production. Sometimes that’s all you need – a guy with the right physical tools who just needs the right situation to succeed.
What This Means for Washington’s Immediate Future
Don’t expect Burks to suddenly become the Commanders’ savior. He’s signing to the practice squad, not walking into a starting role. But with McLaurin’s status uncertain and Samuel clearly not at 100%, there’s a real possibility he gets elevated sooner rather than later. If the Commanders’ injury situation doesn’t improve, we might see Burks making his Washington debut sooner than expected.
The Bigger Picture for Former First-Round Picks
Burks represents something we see more often than we’d like to admit – highly drafted players who never quite live up to their potential. The NFL is littered with first-round picks who couldn’t stay healthy or never found the right fit.
But here’s what makes this story interesting: Burks is still only 25. In NFL years, he’s practically a baby. Players have overcome worse starts to their careers and found success elsewhere. The Commanders are taking a no-risk flyer on a player with first-round talent. If it works out, they look like geniuses. If it doesn’t, they move on and nobody remembers this signing six months from now.
