NEWSLETTER
Good news from the injury front rolled in early when tight end Adam Shaheen started the day practicing in full pads:
Adam Shaheen out here in full pads. #BearsCamp pic.twitter.com/6olMGX5KYj
— The Chicago Audible (@ChicagoAudible) August 1, 2019
Shaheen missed three consecutive practices because of lower back soreness. It was just the latest injury in a growing list of ailments that have kept Shaheen off the field. Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy downplayed the injury earlier in the week, though his positive assessment of the situation did not ease our minds because of Shaheen’s prior injury history.
I do what I can to try and not get too worked up over injuries that pop up early in camp. There is so much time time there is to rest, recover, and be positioned to be ready to roll in Week 1, it should be easy not to get too worked up over what could be a small, lingering issue. But as we have learned by following Shaheen’s injury issues early in his career, a number of small set-backs can pile up and be problematic for player development.
So to see this update from Mark Grote (670 The Score/Bears Radio) is a bit concerning:
Bears TE Adam Shaheen warmed up with the team, but is currently watching practice from the sideline. Been dealing with lower back pain.
— Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) August 1, 2019
Shaheen went from warming up with the team to watching practice from the sideline. That’s a less-than-ideal development for a player who has some expectations on his shoulders. Shaheen has yet to complete a full 16-game season in his first two years, but has been pushing hard to get in better shape in order to make it happen in 2019. He even went as far as to get involved in a mixed martial arts workout program to get right for training camp. I’m holding out hope that his offseason work pays off for him (and ultimately, the Bears), but things aren’t off to a good start to this point.
We’ll continue to keep an eye on Shaheen’s development as camp rolls on this summer. Because if Shaheen can’t give the Bears the snaps they need, it will open up opportunities for the tight ends behind him on the depth chart.
