CHICAGO -- The Bears have re-signed tight end Ben Braunecker to a two-year contract. After you take a break for nine months or however long the season is, you lose a lot of skills. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Sports Mockery, Inc. 2022 | All rights reserved. Thats kinda the perk of having the brainiac with us.. He caught six passes for 59 yards and a touchdown last year. The Bears on Saturday added running back Darrynton Evans, quarterback Nathan Peterman and linebacker DeMarquis Gates to their active roster in advance of Sunday's road game against the Jets. He caught eight passes for 87 yards and a score, but Holtz could have the edge, as he played in 14 games and started seven. Braunecker (concussion) didn't practice Tuesday, Stacey Dales of NFL Network reports. Braunecker chose to stand on his combine numbers for his 3-cone drill, short shuttle, and bench press. Sadly the failures of the 2019 season and the COVID-19 realities ended his tenure. Youve just gotta find any way to stay in shape. But Chicago Bears rookie Ben Braunecker isnt most college kids. Seemingly on pace for a third DNP in a row Sunday at Green Bay, he'll leave tight end in the hands of J.P Holtz and Jesper Horsted. As someone who knows the biology behind it, is it something youre more cognizant of than others? Braunecker was acquired as an undrafted free agent by the Chicago Bears in 2016 and played for them until 2019. Hes been with the team since 2016. Shaheens window passed the moment the Bears handed $16 million to Jimmy Graham and spent a 2nd round pick on Cole Kmet. All Rights Reserved. Braunecker is actually the third Bears tight end to go on injured reserve. With only one legitimate tight end on the roster in Zach Miller (and all his previous injuries in tow), the Bears give Braunecker not only a great chance to make the team, but a chance to contribute as well. He was twice named All-State (Honorable Mention); he was the Southwestern Indiana MVP and twice All-Conference. He finished his college career with 68 receptions for 1,168 yards and 10 touchdowns. When asked about a post-football career, which is what you ask of a Harvard grad when he enters the league, the molecular and cell biology major said he wanted to be an infectious disease doctor. Theres a lot of good information and a lot of misinformation out there right now about it. Powered by. Braunecker likely will enter training camp below all three -- plus Adam Shaheen -- on the depth chart and may have a tough time making the Week 1 roster. But you bring up an interesting point whether or not this will change peoples thinking moving forward. Doing a lot of yoga, a lot of body-weight exercise right now. The. With the Bears having such a stocked roster (they were carrying 90 players and will have to whittle that number down to 80), cuts were inevitable and expected, but Braunecker was thought to have a better chance than, say, Saubert, Horstead or Holtz. . However, the CBS reporter . He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2016, and played for the team through 2019. [4] He was placed on injured reserve on December 15, 2019. Yeah, I mean, its huge. With Ben Braunecker's touchdown catch, the Bears tight ends now have 1 for the season. For me its a combination of watching and reading the news and the scientific literature is coming out at a really fast pace, so New England Journal of Medicine and then PubMed, you can find a ton of stuff on there. His absence leaves Jesper Horsted and J.P. Holtz as the top tight ends in Chicago. I follow the Bears and I hadnt ever heard of him before today. Hes just the type of player that Pace and John Fox want on the roster. Educated to be a writer at the prestigious Columbia College in Chicago, Erik has spent the past 10 years covering the Bears. Yet his exit only furthers one of the biggest conspiracies surrounding the Bears. Braunecker has earned his keep as a special teams player and blocker over his three years with the Bears, but he's logged just seven receptions for 83 yards across that stretch. He was also named first-team All-Ivy League when he recorded 48 catches for 850 yards and eight touchdowns. He played tied end for the Chicago Bears for four years after graduating from Harvard in 2016. NFLDraftScout.com ranked him the sixth best tight end out of the 102 available. The Chicago Bears made their first of what will become many cuts today when they released this tight end. According to the Count's analysis of which prospects fared best, tight end Ben Braunecker was the standout performer. He was also honored on the College Sports Madness All-America first-team and the InstantScouting FCS All-America team. Ben Braunecker Position: TE 6-3 , 247lb (190cm, 112kg) Born: February 7 in Ferdinand, IN (Age: 29-010d) College: Harvard Weighted Career AV (100-95-. Holtz came to Chicago Week 2 of last season after staring the season with Washington. With no Chicago tight end posting more than 24 yards in a game all season, even if Braunecker continues to start he'll be a low-upside fantasy option. Halas Hall is shut down even for players wanting to work out. 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He's played in just 47 games over his four seasons in the NFL and the most passes he's caught in a single season for Chicago is 6 in 2019. All Combine and Draft-Related Analysis, News, Video, and Biographical Information for Ben Braunecker Ben Hull is in tonight's Coronation Street, playing a business associate of Sarah Barlow called Owen. It might bring some people joy or relief from everything thats going on to see the NFL still operating pretty rapidly. Braunecker now has a total of 10 receptions in 45 games. He doesnt have near the special teams value Braunecker does. Couches, chairs, heavy chairs, desks. Its an unprecedented time. (Kena Krutsinger / USA Today), linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe was pre-med at Western Kentucky, Guard James Daniels was a biology major at Iowa. BIG BEN TV is a YouTube channel of Ghana's top entertainment and news site, that follows current affairs in Ghana and beyond. Braunecker dropped a long pass that could have potentially been a touchdown, and as a result, he ended up with a quiet performance. He sat there all weekend waiting for his name to get called, and when it didnt, it really got under his skin. What do you think we should be doing? Im sure its near-impossible during the season when youre already studying up on a playbook and an opponent, but have you kept up with some of the things you were studying at Harvard? Braunecker's departure leaves eight tight ends on the Bears roster: Veteran free-agent acquisitions Jimmy Graham and Demetrius Harris; rookie second-round draft pick Cole Kmet; returnees Adam Shaheen, J.P. Holtz, Jesper Horsted and Eric Saubert; and undrafted rookie Darion Clark. The Bears on Saturday elevated running back Darrynton Evans from the practice squad to the active roster in advance of Sunday's game in Atlanta. The Bears placed Braunecker (concussion) on injured reserve Saturday. The 26-year-old landed on injured reserve with a concussion in December, but before that, he put up career highs with six catches for 59 yards in 11 games while also catching his first career touchdown. [15], In 2018, Braunecker played in 15 games with two starts, recording three receptions for 42 yards and three special teams tackles. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Were not really used to that in the NFL world. Since arriving in Chicago as an undrafted free agent from Harvard in 2016, Braunecker has appeared in 47 games with seven starts over four seasons, catching 13 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown while also regularly contributing on special teams. Infectiousdiseaseguy. Braunecker sat out a second straight practice after suffering a concussion during Week 12's win over the Giants, and coach Matt Nagy said "it'd be a stretch" for the fourth-year tight end to suit up Thursday against the Lions, according to Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times. Maybe not this fast though. A couple months ago, people were saying, Well the flu kills 20,000 to 40,000 of people every year and nobodys talking about it. But as the cases doubled and everything went exponential, I began to see, wow, this is something pretty serious. On October 1, 2016, he was promoted to the active roster and was officially named the Bears' third tight end on their depth chart behind veterans Miller and Paulsen. Just stay healthy and people will see. Its not a surprise that a Harvard graduate can use his brain to fallback on, but the Molecular and Cellular Biology major has taken that to another level. Braunecker (concussion) has been ruled out for Thursday's game versus the Cowboys. [12], On September 3, 2017, Braunecker was waived by the Bears and was signed to the practice squad the next day. This has certainly heightened the importance of things we all probably should be practicing all the time. [10] Going into the regular season, he was the Bears' third option at tight end, behind Zach Miller and Logan Paulsen. That is the only explanation that makes sense anymore. Partnered with the USA TODAY Sports Media Group|Powered by, Signed a 2 year $2.7 million contract extension with Chicago (CHI), Signed to the active roster by Chicago (CHI), Signed to the practice squad by Chicago (CHI), Signed a 3 year $1.62 million contract with Chicago (CHI). Maybe a little bit more health- and I would just say sanitation-minded than your average football player, but I understand that, especially when youre young and a professional athlete, you have a healthy immune system, so you could fight off pretty much all the little bugs that try to get into you on a daily basis. Chicago likely released him to save money, and the addition of rookie Kmet had to play a factor, as well. [16], On March 11, 2019, Braunecker signed a two-year contract extension with the Bears. [3] He was projected by many analysts to be a fourth to sixth round draft selection. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings. Thankfully the lethality rate isnt higher, but still, I was shocked and I was one of those people whose minds had to be changed. The Bears on Friday placed CBs Jaylon Johnson and Kindle Vildor on injured reserve, activated RB Khalil Herbert and added CB Breon Borders, WR Nsima Webster and TE Chase Allen to the active roster. Ben Braunecker contract and salary cap details, full contract breakdowns, salaries, signing bonus, roster bonus, dead money, and valuations. The 25-year-old will play a depth role behind Trey Burton (groin) and Adam Shaheen in 2019. Braunecker (concussion) didn't practice Thursday. Wash your hands, dont touch your face, etc. Thought hed have a good shot to make the roster thanks to special teams. The 25-year-old will have to fully clear the protocol before returning to game action, putting his availability in doubt for Thursday's matchup with Dallas. Whats your take on it? Braunecker spent the last two summers working at the biochemistry lab at Harvards Medical School. Its interesting. The TD came last Nov. 10 when Braunecker dove to catch an 18-yard pass from Mitchell Trubisky in a 20-13 win over the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. Several analysts were surprised by Brauneckers release, as he knows the offense well, and has been a solid presence on special teams. All Shaheen has to do is stay healthy. Everyone fell into two camps. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: profiles | Does it give you a greater sense of purpose? Braunecker sustained the concussion Week 12 against the Giants and didn't play versus the Lions on Thanksgiving Day. I have a lot of reservations thinking that OTAs and the offseason are going to happen. Was that something you were pretty knowledgable about? People ask me my take on anything in medicine or science. Most college kids get summer jobs moving furniture, mowing lawns, or working in retail. Braunecker talked about his frustrations at Bears minicamp (according to Larry Mayer): "Projections had me anywhere from [Rounds] 4-to-6 and I sat there on draft day for about seven hours on my couch with an ESPN camera in my face watching every pick go by, and that definitely puts a chip on my shoulder.I want to make this team. Braunecker had 13 receptions for 142. Ben Braunecker. Already Subscribed? Braunecker's season will come to a close with six receptions for 59 yards and one touchdown. He hit injured reserve due to a concussion in December, but has since fully recovered and will be free to search for a chance with another organization. Boots, hats, denim, anything goes! Braunecker has been diagnosed with a concussion and was listed as a DNP on Monday's practice estimate. The Bears on Thursday released veteran tight end Ben Braunecker. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? This information might be about you, your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to. Hes working while hes not working. He has two passions in life: football and infectious disease. He is also one of the few White Sox fans out there and thinks Michael Jordan is, hands down, the GOAT. On the plus side, hes still signed to play in 2020 for Chicago despite the fact that hes not even listed as one of the top four tight ends on the teams depth chart. 1 tight end since both Trey Burton (calf) and Adam Shaheen are on IR, but J.P. Holtz, Jesper Horstead and Bradley Sowell figure to lead the way until then. Shaheen doesnt fit anywhere into that picture. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. BroBible is the #1 place on the internet for the very best content from the worlds of sports, culture, gear, high tech, and more. Ben Braunecker 's tenure with the Bears has come to an end. With Trey Burton on injured reserve, Adam Shaheen and Ben Braunecker not likely to play, and Bradley Sowell not being the answer, the Bears will have to look elsewhere for a tight end versus the . While a fun joke for the national media to harp on, it was plain as day the team was going to start whittling that number down at some point. When 100%, Burton is the . Braunecker likely will enter training camp below all three -- plus Adam Shaheen -- on the depth chart and may have a tough time making the Week 1 roster. Braunecker put up career numbers with the Bears last season, logging six catches for 59 yards and his first touchdown across 11 games. Im thankful that this isnt apocalyptic, but its still concerning and Im just hoping we can get through it with minimal lives lost and minimal damage to the economy. Well, its all over the place right now. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. TE Ben Braunecker earned $2,578,956 in his NFL career. Ive tried doing that in-season, very minimally, and it really doesnt work that well. I know I want to get into medicine and do research more than clinical work. Despite having showcased a step forward in his development,. Like his Facebook page or follow him onTwitter for more news and interaction. All rights reserved. Its always interesting the first week of classes and trying to read primary research again is just like, wow. This can only be called pure favoritism on the part of GM Ryan Pace. Weve already told him that, youre the guy that were coming to if we have questions. Best Mnday ever. section: | slug: | sport: football | route: player_profile_home | Your IP: For the third consecutive week, Braunecker isn't taking the field due to a concussion. Initially, I think I was guilty in underestimating how infectious and how easily transmissible this was. Sunday was the realization of the NFL dream . Its not too often where something comes around thats as infectious and as easily transmissible as this is so it creates a pandemic that the flatten the curve knowledge is that useful or prevalent. 100 Following. So its been a pretty terrible, no good year for the former nose tackle. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2016, and played for the team through 2019. These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. Ill ask you a question that I know you dont know the answer to, and thats OK: Do you have any sense of when football will be able to resume? Horstead, who signed with the Bears as an undrafted rookie last season, played in six games for Chicago last year, starting one. The Bears will give him every chanceto make this roster, and if he shows some level of promise during the preseason, you can expect the Bears, at a minimum, to keep him on the practice squad. Browse our online application for MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, EPL, or MLS player contracts, salaries, transactions, and more. Oh, absolutely. In my opinion, if theres anything worthwhile to dedicate your entire life to, its something that has the ability to stop the world in its tracks. @oneoftenk. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Subtractions in #Bears TE corps were inevitable but bummer for just released Ben Braunecker, whod developed into a decent special teams performer. Ben Braunecker contract and salary cap details, full contract breakdowns, salaries, signing bonus, roster bonus, dead money, and valuations. Its a pretty interesting and unprecedented time to try to prepare your body for football activities. Braunecker was pegged by most draft experts to go in the fourth or fifth round of the NFL draft. The Chicago Bears have begun thinning out their roster, and they have just released veteran tight end Ben Braunecker, who has been with the team since 2016. It does instill a little bit of a greater sense of purpose.