A couple of offseasons ago, the Chicago Bears signed tight end Trey Burton to a multi-year deal. Burton's first season in the Windy City was a success, but in 2019, injuries limited Burton, and he ended up logging just 14 catches.
Clearly, the Bears are in need of a tight end, and they may be targeting the best one available.
According to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, Chicago has expressed interest in Austin Hooper. The bad news is that Hooper is generating interest from numerous teams, so the Bears may have to fight to get him on board.
Hooper has spent the first four years of his career with the Atlanta Falcons and is coming off of a 2019 campaign in which he played 13 games and hauled in in 75 receptions for 787 yards and six touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.
The 25-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Stanford, was originally selected by the Falcons in the third round (81st pick overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.
He had a quiet rookie year, logging just 19 catches for 271 yards and three scores, but the following season, Hooper's role within Atlanta's offense grew, as he finished with 49 grabs for 526 yards while reaching the end zone three times.
The San Mateo, Ca. native then had a breakout campaign of sports in 2018, catching 71 passes for 660 yards and four touchdowns, earning his first Pro Bowl selection.
Hooper is expected to reset the tight end market this offseason.
The Bears were one of the league's most disappointing teams this past year, going just 8-8 and missing the playoffs in spite of entering the season with Super Bowl aspirations.
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