Getty TE Trey Burton was recently released by the Chicago Bears.
Trey Burton has had a rough go of it lately. After the Chicago Bears signed him to a four-year, $32 million contract in 2018, all arrows pointed up. That year, he had a solid debut season with the Bears, playing in all 16 regular season games. Burton had 54 catches for 569 yards and six touchdowns that year, and his signing looked like a great one for the Bears.
But on the weekend of the 2018 NFC Wild Card game against his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles, Burton showed up on the injury report with a groin issue the day before the game after practicing in full all week. He didn’t play, and his injuries only seemed to pile up from there. He played in eight games throughout the 2019 season, starting five, and he had just 14 catches for 84 yards with no scores.
Burton ended up on injured reserve to close out the season, and he battled groin, hip and calf injuries all year. Still, he had a promising start as a TE1 his first year in Chicago, and he played very well with the Eagles as Zach Ertz’s wing man, so he’ll be an intriguing option for some teams. One analyst thinks he may be a good fit for the defending NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers.
49ers Are Looking for a Tight End to Compliment George Kittle
GettyGeorge Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers is already one of the best tight ends in the game. The 49ers are looking to find a dangerous TE2 to compliment him.
The 49ers are rumored to have been in the tight end market this offseason. The Niners tried to make a play for free agent tight end Austin Hooper, who eventually signed with the Cleveland Browns, and they also had conversations with the Washington Redskins about tight end Jordan Reed. The team seemingly wants to pair All-Pro George Kittle with another formidable talent, and they haven’t done it yet.
Now that Burton is available, would he be worth a look? Multiple 49ers insiders seem to think so. Brian Witt of NBC Sports thinks Burton would be an affordable option, especially considering the Bears still owe $4 million of Burton’s $6.8 million contract in 2020. 49ers insider Matt Barr agrees, suggesting the 49ers offer Burton an incentives-laden deal.
Apparently, the 49ers were reportedly interested in Burton two years ago according to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows.
Burton’s Injuries Only Major Red Flag for 49ers
If he can return to his 2018 form, Burton would be an excellent fit in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. But that’s a big ‘if.’ Chicago’s GM Ryan Pace revealed Tuesday that the Bears felt they couldn’t move forward with Burton because his injuries got to be too much.
“As we took a full evaluation of our roster after free agency and factored everything in, that was the best decision for us,” Pace said Tuesday about the team’s decision to release Burton. “He had a good first year for us, but unfortunately for him and for us, the injuries kind of added up.”
Signing him would be a risk, but if, as Barr suggested, the Niners could grab him on a low-cost deal full of performance-based incentives, it may be a risk worth taking.
READ NEXT: 49ers Looking to Trade Several Players, Including WR & RB: Report