DETROIT — The details on Jesper Horsted’s first NFL touchdown catch were a bit hazy to him after the Bears’ 24-20 win over the Lions.
Horsted caught an 18-yarder over his shoulder late in the third quarter to tie the game at 17, but that was about all he could recall.
“I don’t really know what happened, to be honest,” he said, smiling. “I’ve gotta see the catch. I just know I wasn’t letting it go. I knew I caught the ball and I knew it was a contested catch, and there’s no way that ball was dropping. That’s all I can tell you.
“It was in slow motion, yet I don’t really remember what happened. I just remember looking at the ball in my hands and rolling over so he couldn’t rip it out.”
If there’s any position where the Bears need an unsung hero to emerge down the stretch, it’s tight end. Horsted, an undrafted wide receiver out of Princeton, made his pro debut against the Giants four days earlier and got the start on Thanksgiving because veteran Ben Braunecker was out with a concussion.
Plan A, of course was Trey Burton, but he went on Injured Reserve two weeks ago. Adam Shaheen, the team’s second-round pick in 2017, hasn’t played since Nov. 3.
That left the Bears with Horsted, part-time fullback J.P. Holtz and converted offensive lineman Bradley Sowell. The trio had four career catches combined going into Thursday.
Horsted kept himself in contention for an opportunity like this by working tirelessly on the practice squad since the end of the preseason and caught coach Matt Nagy’s attention several times before Thursday.
“He’s made some spectacular catches in practice, so it doesn’t shock me when you see him make that type of play,” Nagy said. “He has that talent. How happy for a kid on national TV, in front of everybody, to get a chance to make a play and he made it.”
