The Bears are going all-in on fixing the tight end position this offseason, which means they’re likely to turn to both free agency and the NFL Draft to bring in some new faces.
Chicago is reportedly interested in targeting Austin Hooper, widely regarded as the top tight end in free agency. If the Bears were to land Hooper, it wouldn’t be without its cost.
According to Spotrac, Hooper is projected to become the highest-paid tight end in the NFL next season — with his market projected around $50 million over five years. The Bears, who have $26 million in salary cap space, could make it work. But they won’t be without competition for Hooper’s services.
With all of this talk about bringing in new faces at tight end, what does that mean for Trey Burton?
According to Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer, it sounds like the Bears are prepared to stick with Burton in 2020, despite who they bring in this offseason.
Speaking of tight ends, I’m not saying Bears won’t go forward without supplementing at the position, but word is they’re OK with Trey Burton being the headliner there, on the belief that he’s just had a lot of bad injury luck the last couple of years.
While it’s fair to point to Burton’s injury history as a reason for his lack of production last season, it’s also one of the problems Chicago faces with him. After suffering a groin injury prior to the Bears’ playoff game during the 2018 season, he tweaked his groin and wound up on injured reserve with a hip injury in 2019.
It’s hard to imagine a time when Burton was productive for Chicago. When Burton was healthy for a short time in 2019, he was practically invisible on the field. Ultimately, he caught 14 passes for 84 yards in eight games with no scores.
But thinking back to Burton during that 2018 season, where the offense was just good enough, he’s shown that he can be an effective member of this Bears offense.
Although it’s fair to wonder if Burton can get back to that place or if he’ll ultimately be usurped by Chicago’s impending offseason tight end acquisitions.
[lawrence-related id=439075,439051,439155,439142]