The Bears have received virtually no production from the tight end position in 2019, which is especially disappointing considering the high expectations that came with Trey Burton's signing in 2018.
Burton's been injured throughout the offseason and into the 2019 regular season culminating with him being sent to injured reserve this week. His year ends with just 14 catches for 84 yards and zero touchdowns. And while not every team calls for its tight end to be a big piece of the offense's passing game, Matt Nagy's system requires a playmaker at that spot.
It's just one of many reasons why Mitch Trubisky has regressed in Year 3.
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Burton's struggles and injuries have opened the door for former Princeton wide receiver-turned-tight end, Jesper Horsted, who was promoted to the Bears' active roster after spending the first 11 weeks on the practice squad. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in May.
General manager Ryan Pace spoke about Horsetd's upside in his weekly radio spot on WBBM Newsradio.
“With Jesper, I think if you go back and look, he was highly productive in college as a receiver," Pace said. "He went undrafted, didn’t get signed after the draft, came here as a rookie minicamp tryout, converted to tight end and he impressed.
"He’s put on the necessary weight. He’s maintained his speed and quickness. He’s made significant progress in that conversion. He’s still a work-in-progress, but we just see a lot of upside with him.”
NFL
Horsted became a fan-favorite during the preseason when he flashed impressive hands and body control. He made a strong final impression on Pace and the front office with five catches for 82 yards and a touchdown in Chicago's preseason finale against the Titans.
With not much left to play for in 2019, players like Horsted have a chance to build a strong foundation for a bigger role in 2020.