Bears To Activate Adam Shaheen, Send Dion Sims To IR

Trey Burton will have a different backup tight end Sunday. The Bears will sub out Dion Sims for Adam Shaheen on their 53-man roster, activating the second-year tight end from IR and sending the 2017 free agent signing to the injured list, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

Chicago designated Shaheen for an IR return last week and had three weeks to activate him. He will likely make his season debut Sunday night against the Vikings.

A concussion will send Sims to IR. The former Dolphins tight end played in eight Bears games during his second season with the franchise but only caught two passes, with first-year Bear Burton becoming the starter this season.

Shaheen came out of Division II Ashland as an athletic marvel but has yet to contribute much as a pro. Preseason ankle and foot injuries sidetracked the 6-foot-5, 270-pound target’s development. He caught 12 passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns last season and poses as an interesting weapon for Mitch Trubisky down the stretch.

Sims did well for himself in free agency last year, signing a three-year, $18MM deal. The $6MM-AAV pact handed to the former Miami backup was more than Austin Seferian-Jenkins or Jared Cook received from their respective teams. Sims, though, has 17 receptions as a Bear in his two-year Windy City run. Considering a 2019 cut would save the Bears $6MM, and with Burton and Shaheen under contract long-term, Sims will surely be a release candidate as the next league year approaches.

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