Adam Shaheen continues to impress in his limited time on the field for the Chicago Bears.
An interesting, yet very under the radar storyline this season is Adam Shaheen. When he gets on the field, the upside consistently shines. However, his limited playing time has held him to be a mystery on not only a national but a Chicago level.
With the season all but over and two games that featured a combined 28 snaps, some beat reporters finally caught on and began asking where Shaheen was. The Bears brought him back out on Sunday, and again he excelled in his role. He caught four passes for 41 yards and a touchdown, but he always was going to be that red zone threat. What brings his upside to another level and makes him a three-down player moving forward is his blocking ability.
He has done well in his limited chances, and in two straight plays on Sunday, the Bears used his athleticism to help in two runs that led to a touchdown.
Tarik Cohen
The play below is executed so well that Shaheen was hardly needed. Still, the ability that Shaheen shows on this play as he gets out in front of the “human joystick” to lead him to a 29-yard gain is impressive. The ability to pull and get into the second level like that as a lead blocker is not something every tight end can do. This adds a completely new layer of unpredictability to the offense.
They go right back to pulling Shaheen on the play below. Shaheen gets across the line, and seals up the backside, connecting with Jordan Willis, 75. The play ended with an eight-yard touchdown.
Adam Shaheen has to keep playing. There is tape of him blocking well. There is tape of him pulling. He has touchdowns, and catches over the middle. Even with any downfalls that come with this package, the team is not playing for anything. The Bears should spend a lot more time putting Shaheen in these types of situations.