It isn’t truly a Bears offseason without some sort of plot twist in the tight ends room.
And the latest is has Chicago playing musical chairs with tight ends on the depth chart.
On the way out the door is Jesper Horsted, per PFF’s Doug Kyed:
The #Bears waived TE Jesper Horsted with a failed physical designation.
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) May 11, 2022
And in a corresponding move, ESPN’s Field Yates Rysen John joins the party after via waivers:
Waiver claims today:
The Bears claimed TE Rysen John
The Packers claimed TE Eli Wolf
The Patriots claimed TE Matthew Sokol
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 11, 2022
A failed physical designation leading the Bears to place Horsted on waives comes as a bit of a surprise. After all, the team kept Horsted as an exclusive rights free agent earlier in the offseason. Hopefully, a failed physical isn’t a result of a serious injury.
A wide receiver by trade from his days as a standout at Princeton (yes, that Princeton), the Ivy League product has been transitioning into a tight end since arriving as a UDFA signing who made his debut in 2019. It has been limited action for Horsted, who has just 121 offensive snaps under his belt. But they’ve been memorable:
WHAT. A. CATCH. 😯
Jesper Horsted hauls it in to tie this game up! @JHorsted #Bears100
📺: #CHIvsDET on FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app
Watch free on mobile: https://t.co/QeumWCLyaU pic.twitter.com/yWsXRT10DQ— NFL (@NFL) November 28, 2019
📽 Jesper Horsted avec un TD impressionnant pour égaliser sur cette belle passe de Mitch Trubisky ! #Bears100 pic.twitter.com/LLJI8YU1G3
— NFL France (@NFLFrance) November 28, 2019
You can’t say he didn’t make the most of his opportunities (as few and far between as they were).
Perhaps he’ll latch on with a team willing to roll the dice on a project. In the meantime, we’ll turn our attention to the newest Bears tight end.
John, 24, comes to Chicago after landing on waivers after a stint with the New York Giants. He spent the last year on IR with an ankle injury. Maybe a change of scenery and a clean bill of health will put him on a path to earning a roster spot in Chicago. Like Horsted, John is taking a unique journey in making it to the NFL. John played collegiately at Simon Fraser University in Canadian British Columbia where he was a wide receiver. Checking in at 6-7 and 240 pounds, John has a large frame that I suppose could make him a feasible red zone target. He has a ways to go before he makes it there, but it looks like he’ll get a shot in Chicago. Well, unless there is more roster churn at the position coming down the pipeline.