Tag: Jesper Horsted

Don’t expect to see Bears WR Taylor Gabriel or TE Ben Braunecker on Thanksgiving

Matt Nagy says it will “probably be a stretch” to see Bears WR Taylor Gabriel or TE Ben Braunecker play Thanksgiving vs. Lions.

As the Chicago Bears prepare to face the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving, they’ll likely do it down two offensive weapons.

Wide receiver Taylor Gabriel and tight end Ben Braunecker remain in concussion protocol, and both aren’t expected to play Thursday against the Lions.

Bears coach Matt Nagy said that it “would be probably a stretch” for Gabriel or Braunecker to play on Thanksgiving.

The Bears are already thin at tight end before Braunecker’s concussion, as Trey Burton is on injured reserve and Adam Shaheen is sidelined with a foot injury. Now, it’ll be the Jesper Horsted and J.P. Holtz show.

Gabriel’s absence could open the door for rookie receiver Riley Ridley, who’s been inactive this season on the 53-man roster. With Gabriel inactive, look for Anthony Miller, Javon Wims and Ridley along with Allen Robinson on offense.

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Bears vs Giants Inactives: TE Jesper Horsted set to make NFL debut

Chicago Bears rookie tight end Jesper Horsted gets his chance to see the field against the New York Giants as the preseason standout is active for Week 12. He was promoted from the practice squad this week and gets the nod over Bradley Sowell. Adam …

Chicago Bears rookie tight end Jesper Horsted gets his chance to see the field against the New York Giants as the preseason standout is active for Week 12.

He was promoted from the practice squad this week and gets the nod over Bradley Sowell. Adam Shaheen was ruled out of the game earlier in the week due to a foot injury.

Inside linebacker Danny Trevathan is also out for a seconnd-straight week with his elbow injury, and a spattering of other young players round out the rest of the inactive list.

Mitchell Trubisky was a full participant all week and was removed from the injury report on Friday after dealing with a hip injury suffered during last Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams.

The Giants, meanwhile, will be without their top tight end Evan Engram, who was unable to go despite a bye week off.

Bears’ Jesper Horsted shows promise, but not ‘a full-on tight end yet’

Jesper Horsted has only been playing tight end for just six months, but the Bears are giving him a shot as they’re thin at the position.

With the Chicago Bears thin at the tight end position, they’re taking every opportunity to evaluate preseason stud Jesper Horsted to see if he’s got a future on this team.

Horsted, who’s only played tight end for six months, insists that it’s going to take him time to truly learn the position. But he did prove to be the Bears’ most promising prospect coming out of preseason.

‘‘Even though I’m a fast study, it’s going to take time — more than a few months,’’ Horsted said Wednesday, via the Sun-Times. ‘‘I’m going in the right direction, but by no means am I a full-on tight end yet.’’

Trey Burton, the Bears’ primary “U” or pass-catching tight end, is on injured reserve with a calf/groin injury, and the Bears are exploring their options with Horsted at the “U” position. Aside from Ben Braunecker, who played 50 offensive snaps against the Rams, Horsted is the only healthy option at the “U” position.

Horsted, an undrafted rookie out of Princeton, impressed during the preseason, where he had the Bears’ only two touchdown receptions. But it was his ability to make contested catches that certainly drew heads.

Horsted said that Burton and Brauncker, among others, have helped him learn the position.

‘‘They’re extremely good at it — like, so much better than I expected coming into the NFL,’’ Horsted said. ‘‘They’ve been so helpful. Not only when I go to them to ask them a question, but they will be on my case on the sideline: ‘So what do you have on this play? When are we killing this play?’ Maybe to a point where I’m like: ‘All right, leave me alone. I’m trying to watch.’ ’’

While Horsted isn’t expected to play a full-time role, as Braunecker will fill that spot, he serves to get some reps on offense and special teams.

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Bears promote TE Jesper Horsted to active roster

With the Bears thin at the tight end position, they promoted preseason stud Jesper Horsted to the active roster.

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After waiving linebacker James Vaughters on Monday, the Chicago Bears have promoted tight end Jesper Horsted to the active roster on Tuesday.

Sitting at 4-6 with any shot at the playoffs essentially over, it’s time for the Bears to start looking at their young roster to see what they have moving forward in 2020.

So with the Bears thin at the tight end position, activating Horsted is a move that makes plenty of sense in more ways than one.

 

Trey Burton was placed on injured reserve last week while Adam Shaheen has been a healthy scratch against the Lions and missed the Rams game with a foot injury, which you have to figure is indicative of his performance this season.

The Bears have gotten no production from their tight ends this season. Though you could argue that in two games Ben Braunecker was more effective than Burton and Shaheen.

Horsted, one of the Bears’ undrafted rookie free agents, will get a chance to show what he can bring to the table this week against the New York Giants. During the preseason, Horsted had eight receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns, which was enough to draw the eyes of other teams.

According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, Horsted had opportunities to go elsewhere, but the Bears offered him “a substantial pay raise to remain on the practice squad — $15,000 per week, nearly double the minimum of $8,000 per week.”

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