Adam Shaheen remains on the IR another week.
This week was the first week second-year tight end Adam Shaheen was eligible to come off IR and play for the Chicago Bears. But after a week of not practicing, Shaheen will not play this weekend against the Buffalo Bills.
That has to make fans start wondering when exactly Shaheen will be back on the field and playing on Sundays.
It’s no secret that Dion Sims has been struggling again this season, and with the Bears’ frequent use of two tight end sets, Shaheen would be a welcome addition.
Matt Nagy addressed Shaheen’s situation this week.
Matt Nagy says TE Adam Shaheen isn't quite ready to practice yet, but he's "real close."
— JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) October 31, 2018
Shaheen has been seen on the field prior to games warming up as well.
#Bears tight end Adam Shaheen (IR, ankle, foot) is working with a trainer on the field before the game. He did the same last week. He's hopping on one foot, doing high-knee running, slow-motion bear crawls and more ...
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) October 28, 2018
It’s fair to speculate that Shaheen will be back practicing next week. He’s doing some light work as it is, Nagy says he’s close. It seems like we’ll see Shaheen be limited in practice next week.
More from Bear Goggles On
- Franchise tag and transition tag windows open for Chicago Bears and NFL
- How the Chicago Bears can control the running back market in 2023
- The Chicago Bears can own the city of Chicago moving forward
- Chicago Bears NFL Combine Preview: Quarterback
- 7 best free agent tackle options for Chicago Bears
But getting onto the practice field is only the first hurdle, Shaheen is going to have to also be cleared for full contact and be a full go for an actual game and that’s another level of clearance for him to pass.
Being the Bears are being cautious with Shaheen and not having him practice this week, even though he’s eligible, it would be a safe assumption that once he’s practicing they won’t rush him back onto the field.
Safe speculation would be that unless Shaheen’s practice goes perfectly, that they will probably have him skip the Detroit Lions game on the 11th of November and focus on having him ready for the home game against the Minnesota Vikings on the 18th.
If the Bears are going to make a push to win the division this year, that Vikings game becomes hugely important. If the Bears don’t get at least a split with all three divisional teams, it’s highly unlikely that they are going to be able to win the division with a 2-4 divisional record.
If the Bears want to win the division, they really need to split the next two games with Detroit and beat the Vikings. That means getting Shaheen back for that critical game against Minnesota makes the most sense for the Bears’ training staff.
It makes sense to speculate that is the game the Bears’ are targeting for his return.