The lingering questions about Trey Burton’s health were mostly answered Sunday when Ryan Pace met with reporters ahead of training camp.
The Bears tight end had sports hernia surgery earlier this offseason after a mysterious groin injury kept him out of the wildcard loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. After missing organized team activities and minicamp to recover, Burton is set to return in Bourbonnais, Illinois as originally forecasted.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
He was the team’s most reliable receiver in terms of availability during the regular season, leading all Bears skill position players in snaps played. His 860 plays on the field were the sixth most of any tight end in the NFL and represented 80 percent of the team’s offensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
Still, his receiving production was underwhelming for many Bears fans, who had higher expectations than 54 catches and 569 yards for the offense’s top tight end.
It took Mitchell Trubisky a few weeks to develop a strong connection with Burton, but his 126-yard game against the New England Patriots in Week 6 proved to be the exception for his 2018 season.
NFL
Now that he’s back on the field, Burton can resume strengthening his rapport with his young quarterback to take another step forward in 2019.
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of the Bears.