Chicago Bears: Future of Adam Shaheen is cloudy right now
By Usayd Koshul
Once labeled as “Baby Gronk”, the Chicago Bears 2017 second-round pick has yet to reach expectations. Now, Adam Shaheen’s future with the Bears appears to be cloudy.
When the Chicago Bears selected Adam Shaheen in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft, it was clear that the team saw something special in him despite being a player who played college football for a Division Two program.
Shaheen’s rookie season in 2017 was full of promise. In seven starts, he averaged 10.6 yards per reception and caught 85.7 percent of his passes. What was very clear is that he was beginning to form a strong connection with Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.
In the 2018 offseason, the Bears signed Tight End Trey Burton but many still viewed Shaheen as a perfect fit in the Bears offense. Despite the presence of Burton, many expected Shaheen to make a big leap forward in 2018. However, Shaheen injured his ankle during preseason in 2018 which sidelined him for the first two months of the 2018 season.
When Shaheen finally got a chance to return to action in November, he would play in just six games, catching five passes for 48 yards and one touchdown. As Shaheen heads into his third season with the Bears, it seems as if he can still be the player the Bears envisioned when they drafted him.
With OTAs now taking place, it will be interesting to monitor Shaheen over the next few weeks. If he impresses enough, then the Bears offense will be even more dangerous with the towering tight end duo that features Burton and Shaheen. However, if not, then the Bears have a problem on their hands: Trey Burton is the only proven product at the tight end position and is under contract until 2021.
Shaheen is under contract for just two more years with the Bears. When his rookie deal expires in 2020, the team will have a decision to make: Extend him or let him walk. Were the Bears faced with such a decision today, they likely would have cut him.
The reality is that it is likely getting to a point where the Bears know that if Shaheen doesn’t pan out, then they need to begin thinking about moving on from him. The team has also made multiple moves at the tight end position this offseason which have included bringing in new faces like Dax Raymond but also moving players that were at different positions in 2018 to tight end like Bradley Sowell.
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Time will tell whether or not Shaheen can get his career back on track in 2019. He’s shown flashes of what he really can be, however, it hasn’t been enough to show that he can really be a guy that the Bears rely on long-term. Shaheen is entering a critical season where he’ll be under the microscope and will be evaluated in every game.