The Washington Commanders made two expected roster moves Saturday.
The Commanders elevated WR Treylon Burks and DT Sheldon Day from the practice squad. Day has been elevated previously, and with Javon Kinlaw nursing a sore shoulder, Daron Payne having an injured toe, and Jer’Zhan Newton questionable with an injured ankle, the Commanders will certainly need Day to play as many snaps as possible against the Seahawks on Sunday.
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Burks was also expected to be elevated, seeing starter Terry McLaurin reinjured his quad Monday night against the Chiefs. For McLaurin, it was his first game back after missing a month, and apparently, he wasn’t ready, as he couldn’t complete a game before reinjuring it.
Burks played his college ball at Arkansas and was a first-round draft choice (18 overall) of the Tennessee Titans. Some will recall the Eagles actually owned that 18th overall draft choice, but traded it and the 101st choice to the Titans. The Eagles then drafted A.J. Brown. The Titans then signed Burks to a 4-year $14.4M contract through 2025.
In his 27 NFL games, Burks recorded 53 receptions for 699 receiving yards and a touchdown. On May 1, the Titans declined the contract fifth-year option for 2026, and Burks was released on October 8 and signed by the Commanders to their practice squad on October 17.
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A 25-year-old NFL receiver drafted 18th overall just three years ago should not have been available to the rest of the NFL, yet Burks was. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Burks has battled injuries, including a broken collarbone, this summer.
It’s an opportunity for Burkes to reclaim some status in the NFL during the last nine games of this 2025 season. Hopefully, the Commanders can be a fortunate beneficiary of a player getting his career turned back around toward the expectations of being a 2022 first-round draft pick.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Elevate former 1st-round WR Treylon Burks