Chicago Bears (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
What was once a promising start to a tenure in Chicago quickly went south, as Trey Burton went straight from the playing field to the medical tent…
Coming off of a Super Bowl Championship and the “Philly Philly” special, Trey Burton road into town with loads of potential and athletic ability. The Chicago Bears had just inked the former Florida Gator to a four-year, $32 million contract.
Fast forward to present day, Burton has been released from Chicago and has recently signed by the Indianapolis Colts and General Manager, Chris Ballard.
So, what went wrong in Chicago? Burton started out the 2018 NFL season on a hot streak and eventually finished the campaign with 54 receptions, 569 receiving yards and six touchdowns. While those may not be game-changing numbers, Burton’s impact was evident when examining at the game film.
However, the Bears entered the 2018 NFL Wild Card Playoff Round slated to face off against Burton’s former team, the Philadelphia Eagles. While I want go into too many details of the game, as I’ve tried to permanently remove those memories from my brain, many fans were shocked to hear that Trey Burton would not be playing against the Eagles due to a hamstring injury.
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Sadly, the Bears lost to the Eagles and one had to wonder how the game may have been different had Burton suited up. While Burton never performed at a Pro Bowl level in Chicago, it was noted by Head Coach, Matt Nagy that tight end position is the engine that makes this offensive system go. Clearly this was evident, as Tarik Cohen tried to fulfill the role of Trey Burton and the Eagles shut that down in a hurry.
Now, this happens… Whether it’s an average Joe or a professional athletes, sometimes a body will “act” up for whatever reason. While many believed this to be a one-time occurrence, I don’t even think the Bears knew what was in store for their feature tight end.
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Entering the 2019 season, many believed that Trey Burton would have a clean bill of health, and that the Bears offense should only build upon their improvements in 2018. Unfortunately, General Manager, Ryan Pace let it be known that Burton had undergone offseason sports hernia surgery.
When Burton returned to the team, many fans felt that he may be the spark the offense needed to jump start their productivity. Again, that just wasn’t the case as Burton finished with just 14 receptions for 84 yards. Here’s the kicker, Burton only started five games. Burton eventually made his way onto the injured reserve list with a calf injury.
Now, Trey Burton has moved onto the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears have decided to carry on with the newly signed, Jimmy Graham. Earlier today, Burton chatted with the IndyStar and revealed some shocking news…
Additionally, Burton stated that “the surprise level was high” in regards to the Bears deciding to release him. He also noted, “”The conversations (I had with the Bears) in the offseason were really positive. Everyone seemed to be excited about me getting healthy and getting ready to play.“
