Chicago Bears tight end Trey Burton missed his third straight practice Monday as coach Matt Nagy continues to bring last year’s free-agent signee along slowly while recovering from offseason sports hernia surgery.
“I felt like we put too much in him right away,” Nagy said after Family Fest Saturday.
Burton participated in Chicago’s first six practices but hasn’t suited up since. Backup tight end Adam Shaheen has had his own injury issues to deal with, as he’s been bothered by a sore back that’s caused him to miss some practice time.
All signs point toward Burton being limited this preseason. It wouldn’t be a surprise if his first game action comes September 5 against the Packers in the regular-season opener. There’s no reason to rush him back, especially with the instability at the position behind him.
In his first year with the Bears, Burton finished the season with 54 catches for 569 yards and six touchdowns.
The Bears are expected to release their first depth chart of the summer this week, and tight end will be an interesting position to review. Burton and Shaheen should man the first- and second-team spots, but the battle for the third and potentially last tight end job on the active roster will come down to the rest of training camp and the preseason.
Ben Braunecker may have the upper hand because of his ability on special teams, but Bradley Sowell is a favorite of Nagy’s and gives the offense some flexibility with playcalling.
Undrafted rookies Ian Bunting and Dax Raymond could be battling for a practice squad gig as the summer marches on.
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