Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks (16) does foot work drills during minicamp at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Titans Finally End WR Failure

Originally posted on Tennessee Titans on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated Jul 29, 2025 7:00 AM ET

On Monday, the Tennessee Titans released wide receiver Treylon Burks in a move that no one wanted to see happen, but sadly seemed more and more inevitable as time went on.

Burks, the No. 18 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, sadly never developed as the Titans hoped. In three seasons, the former Arkansas star had just 53 receptions for 699 yards and only one touchdown. He also dealt with injuries constantly, as he played in just 27 of a possible 51 games throughout his time in Tennessee.

Burks was already on the roster bubble, but after he fractured his collarbone on Saturday, the writing was sadly on the wall. Now, Burks will go down as another first-round bust, but what makes it so much worse is what the Titans paid to get him.

During the first round of the 2022 draft, the Titans sent star receiver A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for the No. 18 overall pick, which they obviously used on Burks, and a third-round pick. They then packaged that third-round pick along with their own first-round pick at No. 26 overall in a deal with the New York Jets, which netted them three picks that they used on cornerback Roger McCreary (No. 35 overall), offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere (No. 69) and wide receiver Kyle Philips (No. 163).

A review of the trade that involved Treylon Burks, who now has been released. pic.twitter.com/wUy2hBxrMQ
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 28, 2025

Even though McCreary and Petit-Frere became starting-caliber players, this trade was a disaster from the moment it was announced.

Brown was already on his way to becoming one of the NFL's best receivers at the time of the trade, and he's been just that in Philadelphia. In three seasons, he's caught 261 passes for 4,031 yards and 25 touchdowns, all while helping the Eagles win two NFC championships and a Super Bowl.

The main reason for the Titans trading Brown was so they could save money, as he was due for a new contract at the time and the Eagles gave it to him following the trade. While they did save money, his departure, along with Burks' failure to replace him, caused the offense to regress dramatically. In fact, one could easily claim that this trade was what caused the Titans' decline as a whole.

Former general manager Jon Robinson made a lot of bad moves late in his tenure, but this one — easily one of the worst draft trades in NFL history — stands alone in terms of how awful it was.

This article first appeared on Tennessee Titans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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