Days after the Bears cut tight end Trey Burton, the Colts signed him to a one-year deal Wednesday, according to his agency. It is a minimum-salary contract, but the Bears still will be paying him about $3.1 million this season.
Burton broke into the league with the Eagles in 2014, and Colts coach Frank Reich was his offensive coordinator with them in 2016 and 2017.
Burton got his first opportunity as a full-time starter after signing a four-year, $32 million contract with the Bears and delivered a career year of 54 catches for 569 yards and six touchdowns in 2018.
The Bears cut Burton with a waived/injured designation after multiple surgeries and a severe decline in production. He played only 20 percent of their offensive snaps last season and totaled 14 catches. He had hip surgery this offseason but is expected to be ready by August.
The Bears absorbed a $7.5 million dead salary-cap hit on Burton to escape the $17.4 million they would have paid him this season and next. They could have cut him next spring for a hit of $1.8 million.
