Titans Waive-Injured WR Treylon Burks and Sign WR Ramel Keyton

It came as a jarring moment in Tennessee Titans camp when Treylon Burks, the team’s injured wide receiver, was officially waived with an injury designation. The news landed just two days after Burks sustained a fractured collarbone during a training‑camp practice. The incident occurred when Burks made a one‑handed diving catch from rookie quarterback Cam Ward near the sideline. Though he secured the ball, his shoulder forcefully impacted the turf, forcing him immediately to the locker room for medical attention, later confirmed to be a broken collarbone. That injury meant he would be sidelined for the foreseeable future, prompting the team to make a roster move. The Titans announced they had waived Burks on Monday, July 28, 2025, under the waived/injured designation, which triggers a 24‑hour claim window for other NFL teams. If unclaimed, Burks will revert to Tennessee’s injured reserve, and then has five days to negotiate a potential settlement or become a free agent (

Treylon Burks, selected 18th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft after Tennessee acquired the pick via the trade that sent superstar A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles, had become the symbol of a trade gone awry. The franchise had hoped Burks would step into Brown’s shoes, but the results never materialized. In his rookie season, Burks logged 444 receiving yards and a lone touchdown in 11 games. In the following season, he caught just 16 passes for 221 yards, limited by knee injuries and inconsistent playing time. In 2024, he suffered a season‑ending ACL tear in a special‑teams drill, playing just five games with only four receptions for 34 yards. Across his three seasons in Tennessee, he totaled 53 catches for 699 yards and a single touchdown—production far below expectations for a former first‑round pick

Fan sentiment grew increasingly hostile as A.J. Brown flourished in Philadelphia with two consecutive Pro Bowl appearances in 2022 and 2023, and culminating in a Super Bowl win in 2025. In contrast, Burks’ injury‑marred tenure failed to justify the price the Titans paid in that trade. Following the waiver announcement, fans on social media unleashed scathing criticism—“AJ Brown for Burks. Jon Robinson should be banned from football,” “Titans got robbed in that trade,” and “Jon Robinson will pay for what he did to this franchise” were among the harshest remarks, all pointing to then‑GM Jon Robinson’s role in the trade  Reuters).

With Burks off the roster, Tennessee immediately signed Ramel Keyton to fill his spot. Keyton is a University of Tennessee alum—the same Volunteers program Burks attended—returning to Tennessee after a brief stint in the NFL. An undrafted free agent in 2024, Keyton signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, made their initial roster, appeared in eight regular‑season games, played on 44 offensive snaps and 64 special‑teams snaps, and recorded a single seven‑yard catch on three targets before being waived on April 25, 2025

In college, Keyton was a reliable producer over five seasons (2019–2023). He totaled 86 receptions for nearly 1,500 yards and 11 touchdowns, including 642 yards and six TDs as a senior in 2023. His best seasons came at the University of Tennessee under coaches Jeremy Pruitt and Josh Heupel, culminating in the Volunteer team reaching a top‑10 AP ranking. That experience, along with his size at roughly 6‑foot‑2 and 191 pounds, made him an attractive depth addition for the Titans, especially in the wake of Burks’ injury and the need to support rookie quarterback Cam Ward (Wikipedia, On3, SI).

Having signed with the Titans soon after Burks’ fracture, Keyton arrives as a low‑cost, familiar option in the locker room. Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi and head coach Brian Callahan had stocked the receiving room in the offseason with veterans like Calvin Ridley, Tyler Lockett, Van Jefferson, along with rookies such as Chimere Dike, Elic Ayomanor, Xavier Restrepo—Cast around the league as receiving options for slot, depth, and special teams. Keyton adds continuity with Tennessee ties and experience in their offensive environment, albeit at a developmental level (Athlon Sports, On3, SI).

This move signals the end of the Treylon Burks era in Tennessee. Burks never had his fifth‑year option picked up, and 2025 was considered a make‑or‑break campaign. He had publicly stated a desire to prove critics wrong, suggesting this season could be his bounce‑back moment. Instead, the collarbone injury early in camp closed the door on that possibility ― and led to the Titans deciding his tenure was over. His health issues loomed large: turf toe and concussion in his rookie year, knee injuries in 2023, ACL in 2024, and now a broken collarbone in 2025. Even his positional value slipped; in 2024 he was being asked to contribute on special teams just to remain on the roster. Commenters from Titans fan forums often questioned his route running, drops, inability to win contested balls, and overall consistency. Phrases like “he’s closer to WR4 or WR5, almost purely a special teamer” appeared repeatedly in discussions. Expectations that a change in coaching or scheme would unlock his potential fell flat as injuries continually interrupted meaningful progression

Meanwhile Keyton enters camp with opportunity, but also long odds. In Las Vegas he flashed in preseason (five receptions for 84 yards over two games) but failed to translate that into regular season success. His one catch for seven yards in eight games last season barely registered. Now he returns to his home state, hoping to parlay preseason promise into roster security with the Titans. Tennessee coaches will evaluate him not just for depth receiving, but his ability on special teams and route precision. If he can replicate even a fraction of his college productivity in camp, he could earn a role among the team’s healthy wideouts. If not, he becomes another name in a crowded depth chart likely to be trimmed before the season opener versus Denver on September 7, 2025 (Heavy, SI, On3).

For Burks, the path forward remains uncertain. If he clears waivers and reverts to injured reserve, he might reach an injury settlement with Tennessee or eventually hit free agency once healthy. At 25 years old, with nearly $11.7 million on the table in his contract and limited on‑field production, it’s unclear whether any team will invest in his recovery. The timing of waiver/injured designation means other teams could claim him, but given recent performance and health concerns, that seems unlikely.

For the Titans, cutting Burks closes a chapter that began with hope and high draft expectations, but unraveled into one of the most criticized trades in franchise history. That draft pick, originally part of the trade bringing in A.J. Brown, has become an emblem of mismanagement. Meanwhile, adding Ramel Keyton offers a low‑risk, modest upside alternative: a local product familiar with the area, ready to compete in a wide receiver room built around veterans and new scheme pieces, supporting a rookie QB’s development.

As training camp continues, all eyes will shift to whether Keyton can stand out, whether Burks will ever play again, and whether the Titans can redefine the WR room in a way that brings stability and performance, rather than draft day regret.