Jesper Horsted has found a new home.
The former Chicago Bears tight end is signing a new deal with the Las Vegas Raiders, according to the NFL’s June 7 waiver wire.
In May, Chicago waived Horsted with a failed physical designation and claimed tight end Rysen John off waivers from the New York Giants to replace him. Horsted was in Chicago for three years, becoming a fan favorite in that time.
He started just one regular season game in his NFL career, but he had several memorable moments during his tenure in the Windy City, including catching the first career touchdown pass of quarterback Justin Fields Week 5 against the Raiders:
Justin Fields finds Jesper Horsted in the end zone
First career passing TD for the Bears rookie 😤
(via @NFL)
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Raiders Getting Untapped Potential in Horsted
Horsted, 25, played wide receiver at Princeton, where he set school records for touchdown catches (28) and receptions (196). He converted to tight end after entering the NFL, signing with the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2019.
He made the practice squad his first year with the team before eventually getting elevated to the active roster. He wound up playing in six games as a rookie, catching eight passes for 87 yards and a touchdown, per Pro Football Reference.
He didn’t see any regular season action the following season in 2020, making the practice squad instead and spending the entire year there. In his third year with the team, Horsted made the final 53-man roster after a memorable three-TD performance in the preseason, but he saw most of his snaps come on special teams throughout the season.
Fans and analysts alike wondered why former head coach Matt Nagy didn’t give him more offensive snaps, particularly because he made effective use of the ones he did get. Horsted played in seven games last year, catching two passes on three targets, both for touchdowns.
“You’d think he would be playing more,” insider Adam Hoge wrote about Horsted in December of 2021, adding the TE “seemingly makes a big play every time he actually gets a ball thrown to him. He just rarely gets the opportunities.”
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Fields & Horsted Showed Promising Chemistry
Horsted was fun to watch whenever he did get opportunities in Chicago, and many Bears fans are still wondering what might have been, as Fields and Horsted appeared to be developing a solid on-field connection in 2021.
Fields noted on Instagram last season Horsted was “always open,” while Horsted made a point to praise the young QB on multiple occasions.
“He’s a fighter,” Horsted said about Fields after the young QB was sacked twice and hit multiple times in the Bears’ Week 5 win over Las Vegas. “You saw some of those huge hits. Ideally you want to eliminate those. But it says a lot about your quarterback when he wants to come back and finish the game.”
Now, Horsted will get another opportunity with the Raiders, while the Bears will see what they have in John, a 6-foot-7, 227-pound TE with speed and good hands:
4 verts gives Rysen John a 25 yard catch!
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Promising Ex-Bears TE Signs New Deal With Raiders