Former Titans General Manager Jon Robinson traded Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Brown to the Eagles before drafting Treylon Burks with the 18th overall pick in 2022. Brown has 261 receptions for 4,031 yards and 25 touchdowns, a Super Bowl and two Pro Bowls in the three seasons since.
Burks has 53 receptions for 699 yards and one receiving touchdown in 27 games in his career.
He had his fifth-year option declined, so he heads into the final season on his contract returning from an ACL injury and fighting for a roster spot.
“The last three years I would say my injuries have limited me and kept me from being who I know I am,” Burks said Wednesday, via Terry McCormick of titaninsider.com. “I just think with me being in shape, being healthy, doing the right things right, and just making sure I’m staying on top of the little things. I just feel like I’m in a good place. God has brought me from the lowest to the highs, from the lowest to the highs. I’m blessed. I thank [God] and the people that have been helping me. I’m just excited to see what plan [God] has for me.”
General Manager Mike Borgonzi, the team’s third G.M. since Burks was drafted, said Monday that Burks was in good shape after being cleared for camp.
Burks has accepted the challenge awaiting him.
“I’m a competitor. If you’re a competitor, you know you can do better,” Burks said. “You can be better, so you expect more out of yourself. I wouldn’t say I got down. I was just pissed at myself because I wasn’t where I wanted to be. Things happen. It’s part of the process. It’s just how you come out of that whole situation, but as long as you’re yourself, everything will be all right.”
Will Levis’ 2025 season has formally come to an end with a string of Titans roster moves on Wednesday.
Tennessee has placed Levis on injured reserve, with the quarterback undergoing surgery that will sideline him for the rest of the year.
Head coach Brian Callahan said in his Wednesday press conference that Levis will remain in California for at least a little while after having his surgery there to begin his rehab. After that, Levis and the team will determine when he may be back in the building.
As for Levis’ role going forward — he’s still under contract through 2026 — Callahan didn’t want to make any pronouncements.
“We’ll address that when it comes,” Callahan said. “He’s going out there to get the surgery, he’ll be out there for a little bit, rehabbing post-op. And then we’ll kind of take it from there. There’s no real concrete plan at this point.”
The Titans have Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle behind presumed starter, No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward.
Additionally, Tennessee placed Lorenzo Carter on the reserve/retired list, signed running back Jermar Jefferson, and signed defensive lineman Timmy Horne.
The Commanders put Terry McLaurin on the reserve/did not report list on Wednesday and they signed another wide receiver later in the day.
The team announced the signing of Tay Martin to the 90-man roster.
Martin made three appearances for the 49ers in 2022 and 2023 and he played in one game for the Titans last season. Martin made his only regular season catch in that appearance for Tennessee and it went for a 49-yard touchdown against the Texans in Week 18.
The Titans waived Martin in May and his stay in Washington could be dependent on how long McLaurin remains away from the team while looking for a new contract.
It’s not a surprise given his draft status, but the Titans are going to use training camp to get No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward ready to be a starter.
Head coach Brian Callahan told reporters in his Wednesday press conference that Ward will take his reps with the starting offense in practice.
“Cam will take the majority of the ones reps, obviously,” Callahan said. “That’s going to be a huge part of his development over the course of camp. Those other guys will fill in those other spots, the twos and the threes reps that are coming up.
“I’ve generally really carried three quarterbacks a lot of years in camps for that reason — so there’s more reps to go around for the guys that you’re trying to pour into, and those are guys we’re trying to pour into.”
With Will Levis set to undergo season-ending surgery, Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle are the other available quarterbacks currently on the Titans’ roster.
But Tennessee will focus its efforts on Ward’s continuous improvement.
“His development is a daily process and there’s going to be things that we’ve got to correct every day,” Callahan said. “There’s going to be things he does really well every day where we’ll try to continue those. So every single day, I think, is going to be an opportunity for development for him, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Callahan also noted he feels good about how Ward developed during the offseason program.
“I think at the end of the spring, he was starting to really understand and feel what that timing feels like,” Callahan said. “This is now going to be a huge point of emphasis in this early part of camp to get as comfortable with it as possible as quickly as we can. And I think he’s up to that task.”
When it comes to leadership — an important quality for any quarterback — Callahan feels that’s going to be a natural progression, and it’s not necessarily something Ward needs to focus on.
“I believe that Cam’s got a very natural ability about him, just his personality,” Callahan said. “And I think I just, for the most part, would like him to focus on playing good football and being himself. And I think that’s going to be enough for him. He’s got natural leadership qualities. They’ll come out the more he’s involved, the more he has success. That’ll happen naturally, I think. So, I don’t want to force him to do anything that’s not organic to him, and I think he’ll do a really good job with that.”
Outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter is retiring from the NFL, the Titans announced Tuesday. They will place him on the leagues’ reserve/retired list.
Carter signed with the Titans in the offseason.
He spent the past three seasons with the Falcons. In 2014, he appeared in 13 games, with 11 starts, seeing action on 409 defensive snaps and 51 on special teams, while totaling 32 tackles, no sacks and two quarterback hits.
The Giants made Carter a third-round pick in 2018, and he played four seasons in New York and three with the Falcons.
He played 3,764 defensive snaps and 674 on special teams in 96 games with 62 starts. Carter totaled 278 tackles, 18 passes defensed, 21.5 sacks and 58 quarterback hits.
