NASHVILLE — Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel said wide receiver Treylon Burks is in the concussion protocol after being carted off the field in the final minutes of Thursday night's 20-16 road loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Vrabel, speaking Friday, also said Burks briefly lost consciousness after the incident that led to the 23-year-old player exiting the game. The Titans coach said he had texted with Burks and hopes the second-year pro, who was Tennessee's first-round draft pick in 2022, will be back as soon as possible.
"From what it looked like, I would say it's going to be as good of a prognosis as what it could have been, just looking at the visual of all that," Vrabel said. "We understand what the risks are involved, and Treylon sold out to make a play and unfortunately didn't."
Burks being knocked unconscious is why medical personnel reacted by strapping the receiver to a backboard and cut the facemask off his helmet. Players from both teams knelt or stood on the Acrisure Stadium turf nearby watching.
"It sounds like everybody did exactly what they're supposed to do based on the protocol and making sure that Treylon's well-being was looked after as quickly and as correctly as possible," Vrabel said.
Burks was in the air leaping for a pass on fourth down along the sideline before he landed hard out of bounds, with his head bouncing off the turf but his helmet staying on.
This is the second time within a year the former Arkansas Razorbacks standout has been knocked unconscious on a pass play. He sustained a concussion as a rookie when knocked out while scoring a touchdown in a blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 4.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Burks has eight catches (on 18 targets) for 122 yards without a touchdown this season. He had 33 catches (on 54 targets) for 444 yards and a touchdown as a rookie.
Tennessee (3-5), which lost to the Steelers (5-3) four days after a 28-23 home win against the Atlanta Falcons, started a three-game road swing with the trip to Pittsburgh. The Titans won't play again until Nov. 12 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and they'll follow that by facing the Jacksonville Jaguars in an AFC South Division matchup on Nov. 19.