Bears Coach Just Summed Up Adam Shaheen In 6 Ice Cold Words

The Chicago Bears tight end position is the only one that can challenge kicker for most unsettled on the roster. Expectations were so high for it back in 2018. Adam Shaheen would have a chance to play in a new, creative offense. Trey Burton arrived with his pass-catching skill. They seemed like a potentially dynamic duo in the making. Then the season happened and they were anything but.

Shaheen missed most of the year with a broken foot. Burton played well for the first three quarters of the season, then suffered a setback that included a groin injury and reported anxiety issues. This caused him to miss the playoff game against Philadelphia. Something fans haven't gotten over. Mostly because they feel he found a convenient way to avoid facing his former team that he'd won a Super Bowl with.

Conspiracy theories aside, the frustration has only deepened since training camp began. Burton has missed four-straight practices now after a health setback. It's Shaheen though that has just about worn out fans' patience. Not only did he miss much of early camp with a persistent back issue, but he was also unimpressive when he finally returned, dropping multiple passes in practice.

Perhaps nobody summed up the lack of confidence in Shaheen better than offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich. When asked about what the team can expect from the third-year tight end provided he stays healthy, the Bears coach's short answer spoke volumes.

‘Man, that’s a big condition there,’’ he said.

Adam Shaheen is by far the biggest disappointment of the 2017 class

Much of the frustration with Shaheen stems from two factors. First is his obvious talent. The kid is a freak athlete for his size. So to see him struggle like this is tough. Then there's the fact he comes from one of the best draft classes in recent Bears history. The 2017 edition brought Mitch Trubisky, Eddie Jackson, and Tarik Cohen to Chicago. Shaheen was taken along with that trio but has been left far behind as each of them has gone on to early career success.

Kevin Gilbride, the Bears' tight ends coach, explained to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times the root of the problem.

‘‘Health, that’s really it,’’ he said. ‘‘We need to get him prepared for the season physically, so he still needs to get his reps here. Because that’s what prepares him.

“He’s not necessarily a guy who can just come right off the sideline and perform at the level he can perform at. We have to get him some reps to get him ready to go.’’

In other words, Shaheen is caught in a vicious cycle. He's a player who needs reps to find his groove, but he's also a player that gets hurt frequently. This makes getting reps a constant challenge. Based on comments like these, it sounds like even the Bears coaching staff have lost their optimistic view of the young tight end.