Whether it was by land, air or sea, Treylon Burks was going to arrive on time for Tennessee Titans organized team activities earlier this week.
Due to the domino effect of a delayed flight, Burks was forced to make alternate arrangements in the form of flying into Tennessee via a small Cessna.
It was an example of Burks’ dedication, but an uneasy journey nonetheless for the 2022 first-round pick who has arrived at OTAs ahead of a season in which he aims to arrive as a viable No. 1 WR for Tennessee.
“That was kind of crazy though,” Burks said, via PaulKuharsky.com. “It was real crazy. But I mean, you got to do what you got to do.”
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Burks had his flight from Dallas to Arkansas delayed, thereby meaning his connection to Nashville would be missed, Kuharsky reported. So, after much ado attempting to find a private pilot, Burks landed with Zach Davis. However, it was a tight squeeze of a flight for the big-bodied wideout.
“It was actually the day before where my agent called the guy, but I didn’t know the plane was that little,” Burks said. “I just thought it was maybe like a little jet or something. Then when we get there, it’s just crazy, you know? Everything was alright.”
All’s well that lands safely, though, and Burks has hit the OTA practice field running ahead of a pivotal season.
Tennessee has a dearth of talent in the WR corps and Burks will need to make some strides in Year 2 after a disappointing rookie campaign.
Though it’s merely the spring, so far so optimistic for Burks in the eyes of his quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
“Treylon’s grown a lot,” Tannehill said this week. “I’m really excited about what I’ve seen from him. He’s flying around.”
There was no pun intended by Tannehill, but flying around has been a theme for Burks so far, and that’s promising for the Titans.
Burks was selected by the Titans after they traded A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Following a trade that was largely panned and hoisted undo pressure upon Burks’ shoulders, the Arkansas product struggled along with the rest of the 2022 Titans offense. Burks, who deals with asthma and was sidelined with a concussion last year, played in 11 games as a rookie and finished with just one touchdown off 33 catches for 444 yards.
With a year under his belt, though, Burks is impressing early in the offseason.
“He’s moving fast,” Tannehill said. “He’s moving efficiently. He’s coming out and he’s working. He’s in shape. All great things obviously. He’s been able to catch the ball and get open his whole time here, but all the little things that go along with playing the position, being able to see the field, understand the full concept, as opposed to just a route. How he fits in the whole picture. All those things.
“I think he’s playing with a lot of confidence right now. So, just want to keep him going, keep him growing. He’s doing a lot of really, really good things right now. I’m really happy with his growth and want to keep pushing forward.”
Burks is flying high so far in 2023, but just how high won’t be seen until the season kicks off in September.