Adam Shaheen to start 2018 season on injured reserve

Amid recent news that the Chicago Bears have traded for former Oakland Raiders edge rusher Khalil Mack, some of the other minor storylines regarding other players on the roster have taken a backseat. One of those storylines has been the injury of tight end Adam Shaheen suffered in Week 2 of the preseason against the Denver Broncos. On Sunday, clarification regarding the severity of the injury was received.

In an introductory press conference for Mack, Bears general manager Ryan Pace told reporters that Shaheen will start the 2018 regular season on the injured reserve list while he nurses both ankle and foot injuries. He is expected to return at some point later in the season. The news is contradictory to earlier reports that said he would potentially be able to play in the Bears’ first regular season game of the year against the Packers.

Since he is now on injured reserve, the earliest that Shaheen can return to play is Week 9 when the Bears take on the Buffalo Bills on the road. The designation opens up a roster spot that has been taken by defensive lineman Nick Williams.

Shaheen, Chicago’s second-round pick in 2017, was expected to have an increased role with the installment of head coach Matt Nagy’s offense. The Bears carry the likes of Trey Burton, Dion Sims, Daniel Brown and Ben Braunecker on their roster, so they have more than enough players to take Shaheen’s snaps at tight end in the meantime.

Jacob Infante is a Chicago Bears and NFL Draft writer at SB Nation’s Windy City Gridiron. He also covers the NFL Draft for USA Today SMG’s Draft Wire. He can be reached through Twitter @jacobinfante24 or e-mailed at jacobinfante1208@gmail.com.