As far as positional needs go this offseason, tight end ranks near the top for the Chicago Bears. Considering the importance of the tight end position in Matt Nagy’s offense, this has to be a top priority for general manager Ryan Pace this offseason.
Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen underperformed and underwhelmed — and that was before both were placed on season-ending injured reserve, along with Chicago’s third tight end Ben Braunecker.
There will be several attractive tight end options in free agency, among them Atlanta Falcons tight end Austin Hooper, who has yet to be locked down to an extension by his team.
“I obviously would like to be here,” Hooper said. “I’m open to coming back here. I haven’t received an offer yet. If I do, I’d definitely like to be here. But, at the same time, it’s a business. So, I’m going to let my representation and the representation of the Falcons handle that.”
Hooper, who missed three games due to injury, had career highs with 75 catches for 787 yards and six touchdowns with Atlanta in 2019. His performance earned him a Pro Bowl alternate spot.
Before his injury, Hooper was tied for the league lead in receptions and touchdowns for tight ends. He ended up finishing the season tied for fourth in touchdowns among tight ends and sixth in receiving yards.
“It was cool leading the league for a little bit,” Hooper said. “And then I got hurt and saw all of my stuff go away, but it’s the reality of the sport. People get hurt; all I could do from there is when I was back on the field try to bounce back as best I could, and I feel like I did that.”
For comparison sake, Bears tight ends combined for 46 receptions for 416 yards and a single touchdown in 2019. This, for an offense that relies heavily on tight end production.
None of Chicago’s tight ends broke the 100-yard receiving mark. The Bears’ leading tight end was J.P. Holtz, who had seven receptions for 91 yards followed by rookie Jesper Horsted with eight receptions for 87 yards.
While Hooper expressed his desire to return to the Falcons, if he hits the open market, the Bears need to pursue him as a viable free-agent addition to the roster.
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