The Bears used the 44th overall choice on Ashland tight end Adam Shaheen in 2017.
They selected Shaheen before Joe Mixon, Cooper Kupp, Alvin Kamara, JuJu Smith-Schuster and George Kittle were selected in what is looking like a draft of missed opportunities for the Bears. (See Trubisky, Mitchell.)
Shaheen has started only 13 games and made only 26 catches for 249 yards and four touchdowns.
On Sunday, the Bears made Shaheen a healthy scratch.
“We want all of our players to be able to be completely detailed and play hard and do everything they can to be the best player they can be,” Bears coach Matt Nagy explained Monday, mincing no words, via Arthur Arkush of Pro Football Weekly.
Nagy would not commit to Shaheen’s return to the lineup.
“We’re still working through all of that,” he said.
The Bears used Braunecker, Trey Burton, who is banged up, and primary fullback J.P. Holtz as their tight ends Sunday. Braunecker caught one pass for an 18-yard touchdown, his first career score. That was the only reception by a Bears tight end against the Lions.
Braunecker played 12 snaps, Holtz 19 and Burton 20.