NASHVILLE – Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan announced earlier this week that wide receiver Treylon Burks underwent surgery on his knee for an ACL injury that will end his 2024 season. 

According to Callahan's update, Burks originally went on IR with a loose ACL that was not fully torn, but has since proceeded with the surgery that requires long-term recovery. 

The former first-round draft pick is in his his third NFL season but has caught just 53 passes in a Titans uniform. With Burks' rookie contract expiring at the end of the 2025 season, this long-term recovery now has many people wondering if we've seen the last of him with the organization. 

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What to do with Burks

It begs the question: What should the Titans do with Treylon Burks this offseason? To me, the answer is actually the opposite of what's obvious. 

Burks has been so irrelevant and unproductive. It's blatantly clear that he's not going to be a player you can rely on for the future of Callahan's offense and now he has an ACL injury that will keep him out until at least the start of the 2025 season. I think the natural response from most Titans fans will be to simply cut bait with Burks this offseason and move on. But given the fact that his rookie contract came fully guaranteed, there's no financial benefit for Tennessee cutting Burks.

While you could make a case that the Titans will want to use his roster spot on someone else, Tennessee can have up to 90 players on the roster in the offseason leading up to training camp and Burks could always get placed on the PUP List or Injured Reserve if his recovery is delayed. 

So what should the Titans do? They should do right by Treylon Burks, whatever that looks like.

If Burks recovers well and looks healthy enough to play football in 2025, maybe you cut him and give him a chance to sign with another team and get a fresh start. Just because a player has an injury history and isn't going to work for you doesn't mean there won't be a market for them elsewhere – Look no further than Caleb Farley, who was recovering from an injury, got cut by the Titans, and seemed like he had no NFL future. Farley is now on the 53-man roster for the Carolina Panthers.

And if you determine that Burks won't be healthy enough to play football in 2025, you stash him on PUP or season-ending IR while keeping him within the organization to offer him support. The resources for recovery and the community provided by a locker room environment can go a long way in tough times. I'd like to see the Titans stand by Burks through his injury and I have no doubt that they will.

Ultimately, the culture that Ran Carthon and Brian Callahan are building in Tennessee is all about this idea. Do right by your players. Make the organization feel like a family. Cultivate a space that people are excited to work in every day. And if you do that successfully, word will get out and you'll end up reaping the benefits between the lines on Sundays. 

It's a devastating situation for Burks, who has had a rough go in his professional career. But it's time for the Titans to do right by Burks, even if moving on feels like the easiest and most obvious option. 

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