Tight end Trey Burton has been released by the Chicago Bears after two years with the team and is now a free agent. Burton had been on a four-year deal, but his output never matched what they paid him. His 2019 season was cut short by injury.
Source: The #Bears are releasing TE Trey Burton. Another accomplished veteran on the market.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 17, 2020
Chicago Bears Cut Trey Burton
Burton in 2018 had signed a four-year, $32 million deal with the Bears to become their starting tight end. His 2018 season was fine if not spectacular has he put up 569 yards and six touchdowns, both of which were career highs. In Week 7, he had nine receptions for a career-high 126 yards and a touchdown. However, he was unable to play in their Wildcard playoff game due to an injury (and they ultimately lost).
Burton was hampered by a groin injury through most of the 2019 season, but still only came up with 14 catches for 84 yards in eight games. Instead of waiting to see how he did when healthy in 2020 – including with possibly a familiar face now at quarterback in Nick Foles (depending on who wins the starting job) – the Bears opted to release him.
Before joining the Bears, Burton was an undrafted free agent that was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2014. He eventually worked his way onto the depth chart as a backup tight end behind Zach Ertz and Brent Celek. His 2016 and 2017 seasons were more productive even as a #2 or #3 tight end; in 2017 he caught five touchdowns. In the Super Bowl of the latter season, he didn’t record a catch, but he did throw a touchdown pass on the famous “Philly Special” play that was ultimately caught by Foles, thus making him remembered for that at least. His efforts over 2016 and 2017 helped him get noticed and get signed to be a starting tight end by the Bears.
Thus far in his career, Burton has 131 receptions for 1,282 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’ll be looking to get back on track with whoever his new team ends up being.
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