When first-year Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan said earlier this offseason that Treylon Burks was going to "play everything," he wasn't kidding.
Burks, a wide receiver taken 18th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Titans, will be expected to contribute on special teams, Callahan said Tuesday, underscoring that the former first-rounder is likely to be fighting for a roster spot and will need to contribute any way he can.
"He's going to have to contribute," Callahan said Tuesday after Burks got reps as a gunner. "You know you only get so many hats on game day, and if he's one of those guys on game day, we're going to have to find a place for him. Guys like him should be great special teams players on top of it, just because of his size and speed. And so the gunner thing is something I think he's very capable of doing, there might be some more roles for him in the other phases, as well."
Burks was drafted with the pick acquired by the Titans when they sent A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles. As Brown has soared in Philly, Burks has sputtered through a pair of seasons marked by injuries and lack of production.
The 24-year-old is entering his third season, but the writing is in bold on the wall with the Titans having signed Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd this offseason to add to a WR corps already led by DeAndre Hopkins a year ago. Burks finished seventh on the team in 2023 with just 16 receptions.
Thus, if Burks is going to be active on game days -- or make the roster this summer -- he's going to have to find ways beyond just being a No. 4 wide receiver with name value.
"Anytime you're not the full-time starter, you're going to have to contribute somewhere on game day," Callahan said, "and I think Trey's attitude and approach to special teams has been fantastic, and so I'm excited to see what he can do for them. I think he's an asset on special teams."
Though 11 games last season, Burks had just 221 yards and no touchdowns on 30 targets. Those numbers were steep declines from a rookie campaign that was likewise underwhelming.
Of the 444 snaps Burks played in the '23 season, just one was on special teams. This is the new reality for Burks, though, and he's not the only former first-rounder who will have to make special contributions to stick the landing on a roster spot.
Cornerback Caleb Farley, a 2021 first-round pick, didn't play a down in 2023 due to a lingering back issue and has been limited to 12 games over three seasons. Just like Burks, he'll be thrust into the kicking game, of which he played 89 snaps in 2021-22.
"Yeah, you have to, just same reason," Callahan said when asked if Farley would also have to participate on special teams. "If you're not one of the top two or three guys, you're going to have to contribute on teams. And he's a guy in that mold that if you're trying to get a hat on game day and be one of the [48] active, you've got to play a role on special teams, especially as a skill player."
