Washington May Need Treylon Burks One Week After Making Him Inactive — Commanders Daily

Treylon Burks was the odd man out in Week 1, but Chig Okonkwo’s injury could shift Washington’s personnel plan enough to put the former first-round pick back in the mix against Dallas.

Dec 25, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Treylon Burks (13) runs with the ball as Dallas Cowboys cornerback Reddy Steward (27) chases during the second half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dan Quinn teased that personnel packages would change weekly. With Chig Okonkwo sidelined against Dallas, Treylon Burks' 6-foot-2 frame becomes the perfect offensive answer. | Philip Hughes | HTTR4LIFE LLC

Treylon Burks was among the five players on the 53-man active roster who did not dress against the Philadelphia Eagles, as the team dressed four tight ends and five wide receivers instead. What made the inactive status odd was that Burks was featured among the starters in the Week 1 depth chart. Now with TE Chig Okonkwo out this week, the roster math has shifted completely.

Following the Eagles game, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn confirmed the team's game plan in terms of personnel could change from week to week. "It's hard as the competitors. In this game we had five receivers and four tight ends, and other games that may switch around ... Depending on the opponent, there could be some changes as that goes," Quinn said. "But in this instance, this is a position that we're very deep in, and it was just by the game plan." At the time, that quote didn't mean the same thing for me as it does right now. One week later, the options he spoke of have changed, but the team still has John Bates, Ben Sinnott, and Colson Yankoff. Burks is still sitting there as another offensive body, ready to prove he can contribute.

While he is not a tight end, Burks brings his 6-foot-2, 225-pound frame with him every snap, works well over the middle, and has a bigger catch radius than most of Washington's receiving room. Quinn talked about those traits during camp: "But at the Z position, we really feel his impact, you know? Deep routes, in-breaking routes, he's got a long catch radius, and so that's the thing that you feel on a regular basis." Ben Sinnott is another player the team would like to see step into a larger role with Okonkwo out. Burks and Okonkwo also have some history, entering the league in the same 2022 Titans draft class and spending their first three seasons as teammates in Tennessee.

Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys is exactly what Quinn meant when he said the personnel numbers could change. What's ironic about it is that one injury may be enough to turn last week’s inactive into this week’s offensive answer.

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