Titans' Treylon Burks addresses avoiding asthma-related issues

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks has addressed conditioning issues and asthma-related setbacks that impacted him throughout his first NFL offseason. 

According to Jim Wyatt of the Titans' website, Burks altered his diet during the middle of his rookie campaign and spent this entire offseason in Nashville to be at his absolute best for springtime and summer workouts. The 23-year-old noted Tuesday he feels "faster" because he "can breathe" better than he could last July. 

"My biggest thing was not repeating what I did last year coming into the offseason," Burks said about what he learned as a first-year pro. "I feel like I've mastered that and can keep going. I'm getting better with a lot of the formations and concepts of our new stuff, and just having fun, really. Just having fun, and not having that stress coming in as a rookie trying to prove this guy this, the coach this, just having fun now."

Burks understandably felt pressure after the Titans shipped star receiver A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles on the opening night of the 2022 NFL Draft. Tennessee subsequently spent overall pick No. 18 to land Burks that same evening, but he ultimately failed to match the expectations that hovered over his status at that time. 

Burks missed time last fall with a toe injury and then suffered a concussion in December. Across 11 games, he tallied 33 catches for 444 yards and a touchdown. 

Burks added Tuesday that he feels "great" coming off what he hopes will prove to be positive life choices. 

"I have been here the whole offseason," he explained. "I didn't go train at the beach or anything, I stayed here. I wanted to stay around the facility and bond, make a connection with the coaches but also get ahead on the things that I know I am going to be doing in the offseason."

The Titans may be in the middle of a quarterback reset if coaches decide 2023 second-round draft pick Will Levis should be the Week 1 starter. One would think Levis will want to become fast friends with Burks as the rookie signal-caller looks to leapfrog both Malik Willis and presumed starter Ryan Tannehill on the depth chart.