Bears Hint at Bigger Plans For Jesper Horsted Than We Thought

The Chicago Bears don't need to be told that the tight end position is sorely in need of addressing at the earliest opportunity. Looking around the NFL at similar systems to Matt Nagy's, it's clear as day that having a good tight end makes everything function so much better. Travis Kelce in Kansas City. Zach Ertz in Philadelphia. They had hoped the pairing of Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen would start to produce this season. Obviously, they were mistaken, and this has opened the door for the likes of Jesper Horsted.

GM Ryan Pace signed Burton to a lucrative contract in 2018 with hopes he'd become the "U" tight end in this system. A versatile pass catcher who could move around in all sorts of formations and create mismatches. He did a lot of that fairly well last season but soon injuries began to pile up and those carried into 2019. Now he's landed on Injured Reserve, forcing the Bears to consider what to do with him moving forward.

While the odds of a release are low due to his contract, some have begun looking to the future and there is a quiet excitement regarding the rookie Horsted. It seems like the team has plans for him. This could be taken from what tight ends coach Kevin Gilbride told Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic about what he sees in the undrafted kid from Princeton.

“A skilled, pass-catching receiver that potentially had the build to put weight on and become a ‘U’ tight end,” he said. “That’s really all I saw. But it’s hard to look at his college film and not see, wow, this guy is a very dynamic, playmaking receiver from a big target standpoint and natural hands.”

Jesper Horsted is becoming a thing lately

The Bears liked what they saw out of Horsted not only in college but during the preseason where he made a series of highlight-reel catches. They stashed him on the practice squad in hopes he could sit back and learn by watching a veteran like Burton operate. This, of course, didn't last too long. Burton went on the shelf and the rookie was called up to the active roster. Since then he's become more and more of a factor in the offense.

He made a big 18-yard touchdown grab against the Lions on Thanksgiving and then four catches for 36 yards against Dallas. The Bears are showing a greater deal of trust in him than ever before and it's paying some dividends. Obviously there is still plenty for him to learn and a need to improve his overall body structure. That will come with time. Still, this isn't just some sort of emergency situation. Nagy and his staff seem to truly like Horsted and are starting to envision him with a bigger role in the system.