Is tight end signing telling of Trey Burton status?

Trey Burton missed Week 1. With the Chicago Bears added a depth tight end this week, could he miss Week 2?

The Chicago Bears made a move to the back end of their 53-man roster on Wednesday. The team added J.P. Holtz, a tight end who has bounced around the NFL since being a UDFA in 2017.  Holtz was on the Browns before spending time in Washington, which is where the Bears signed him from.

The team made a corresponding move by cutting Abdullah Anderson. Expect the Bears to look to get Anderson on the practice squad, after he spent a season there last year.

However, the move will leave the Bears with five defensive lineman and five tight ends. In theory, you need more defensive line depth than tight end. However, there is likely a specific reason the team has been so deep at tight end are adding more. The injury to Trey Burton may not be as minor as some may think.

Obviously this had become an issue as Burton missed Week 1. Burton missed the playoff game with the same injury and now has his issue extending into his second NFL season.

Burton practice Wednesday but was limited. Considering the signing, and the corresponding move this not a good sign for Burton.

The fact is that the Bears need Burton. He is a matchup identifier and his presence creates an idea that the team may run or pass. His motion ability makes life easy for Mitch Trubisky.

He has missed two games since Matt Nagy was named head coach, and the Bears lost both, scoring a total of 18 points in the two games. Matt Nagy needs a tight end out there, whether it is Burton or not. That is why he is stacking depth at the position.

He knows that if Burton is down, a player such as Cordarrelle Patterson cannot fill the tight end role. So, while Nagy remained positive the signing is pessimistic towards the potential of Burton to play Sunday.