NASHVILLE — When Tennessee Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks was diagnosed with a sprained LCL in his left knee, the timeline for his return looked to be anywhere between two and six weeks.

But just 12 days after going down in Minnesota, Burks made a surprise return to Titans practice on Monday. That's fast for even the mildest of sprains, especially when Burks was participating in drills and doing some explosive movements without a brace.

Burks still has some way to go, but with almost two full weeks until the first regular season game in New Orleans, it's beginning to seem more realistic for Burks to play Week 1. 

#Titans fans rejoice! WR Treylon Burks returned to practice on Monday from his knee injury. pic.twitter.com/wgRcZoYfJD

— AtoZ Sports Nashville (@AtoZSports) August 28, 2023

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While he was away from the practice field, Burks worked closely with the Titans' strength coaches to keep up with his conditioning. He was also active in the meeting room to stay prepared for his return.

"I don't want to rush anything," said Burks on Monday. "When Todd [Toriscelli] and them tell me that I'm good to go, I'll be prepared to go out and play."

I have to admit, Burks had a good poker face. Just 30 minutes later he was on the practice field going through drills with his fellow wide receivers. That's not something I expected to see this soon, but Mike Vrabel did call it the "best case scenario" for Treylon after the initial scare in Minnesota.

"Just knowing that I've already been through an ACL injury before, it's just scary when you hurt your knee. I was just thankful. I prayed," said Burks.

Tennessee's wide receiving duo of Burks and DeAndre Hopkins is going to be heavily featured in the Titans' 2023 offense. Their health is paramount for the Titans to have a bounce back season and contend in the AFC South.

Monday was a big step towards that goal with Burks back in uniform at practice.

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