An injury to his knee is expected to keep DeAndre Hopkins out of action for four to six weeks, according to veteran Titans beat writer Paul Kuharsky.
Hopkins would not be available for the Tennessee Titans’ season opener against the Chicago Bears on September 8 if he is sidelined for the entire six weeks. Additionally, he would run the risk of missing the Titans’ Week 2 matchup with the New York Jets.
With Hopkins out, the Titans’ receiving group—which saw a major boost this offseason with the addition of Tyler Boyd and Calvin Ridley as free agents—will undoubtedly see an uptick in opportunities.
Hopkins said earlier in the summer that the Titans’ receiving group right now is “one of the best he’s ever been on.” His injury may now put that depth to the test.
Tennesse Titans Receiving Corps in 2024
Participant
2023 Group
Calvin Robinson
Jacksonville Jaguars
Boyd Tyler
Bengals of Cincinnati
Hopkins, DeAndre
Tennessee Titans
Treylon Burks
Tennessee Titans
Nick Ikhine Westbrook
Tennessee Titans
Treylon Burks, who was selected 18th overall in 2022 after the team traded A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles on draft night, is a player the Titans are really hoping to step up.
The organization had hoped that Burks would take over for Brown in terms of production, but that hasn’t happened at all, or else Mike Vrabel and Jon Robinson’s former staff would still be in Tennessee.
This is Burks’ opportunity to increase his role in the Titans’ new-look offense as he now has more opportunities to practice with the first team during training camp.
WR DeAndre Hopkins and Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis are related.
Can The Tennessee Titans Of 2024 Rank Among The Top 10 Offenses?
With the arrival of significant offensive players in free agency, the Titans may be ready for an incredible 2024 year.
Treylon Burks Not Happy with His First Two Seasons
Burks’s role has been restricted by injuries and patchy performance.
Throwback-uniformed Tennessee Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks makes a catch.Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports is credited.
With great expectations for him, the team brought Burks to Tennessee. There was reportedly friction in the Titans front office after the foolish Brown trade to Philadelphia, with coach Mike Vrabel being displeased that his best receiver wasn’t handed a contract extension instead of being traded.
The trades haven’t worked out so far; Brown is still productive in Philadelphia, while Burks has only played in 22 games over the past two years, with 49 receptions, 665 yards, and one touchdown.
His limited production has been attributed to injuries; in his rookie season, a turf toe issue limited him, and last season, an LCL sprain limited his snaps.
NFL Stats for Treylon Burks
Year
Played Games
catches
Acquiring Yards
touchdowns
2022
11
33
444
1.
2023
11
16
221
0
While it was certainly unrealistic to expect Burks to come in and match Brown’s production, those numbers simply aren’t good enough for a first-round choice.
Earlier this offseason, Burks’ new teammate Calvin Ridley lavished some enormous praise on him, suggesting he saw a ‘physical freak’ potential of being a top receiver.
According to what I can see, he resembles T.O. (Terrell Owens), A.J. Brown, and Julio (Jones). Man, a dude that size (and speed)? Man, he’s a stud. You don’t need to be concerned about him.
Maybe Burks will see an increase in production with a new offensive scheme that emphasizes the passing game and a coaching change.
Is Burks’ Potential Unlocked by Brian Callahan?
The head coach, in his first season, has adopted a pass-first scheme.
Callahan, Brian Press Conference with an IntroductionDenny Simmons, The Tennessean, and USA TODAY NETWORK are all credited.
The Titans have always been a run-first team, even before Derrick Henry took the helm for the previous seven seasons. The team has historically had trouble identifying a franchise quarterback and has instead relied on their running backs to assist their quarterbacks while they are playing play-action.
With Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase serving as the offense’s spark plugs, the Cincinnati Bengals offense flourished during Callahan’s tenure as offensive coordinator.
GIVEMESPORT Key Stat: Despite Joe Burrow missing a large portion of the season, the Bengals’ 2023 offense placed 16th in EPA per play (-0.03) and received the 15th-best offensive grade (75.6) according to PFF.
Unless Will Levis surprises a lot of people in year two, Callahan won’t have the luxury of a top-tier franchise quarterback, but he will have some offensive skill to work with and will undoubtedly be trying to maximize Burks’ potential.
Callahan stated earlier in the offseason that Burks would probably need to play special teams as a gunner in order to see more playing time:
He will need to make a contribution. We’ll have to find a spot for him on game day if he’s one of those people, since you know, you only get so many caps on game day. Because of his stature and speed, individuals like him ought to excel on special teams as well.
In order to give his young receiver additional practice with the offense in camp, Callahan will now assess Burks’ progress going into his third year of play.
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