Zach Miller’s gruesome injury forces Adam Shaheen to step up

Chicago Bears tight end Zach Miller is the latest athlete to suffer a gruesome injury. Like Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward, Miller incurred a leg injury that is too gruesome for many to watch.

Down by 11 points in the third quarter, Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky threw tight end Zach Miller open in what appeared to be one of the plays of the year.

During the Bears’ shootout with the New Orleans Saints, Miller went up to make a contested catch in the end zone and came down with what appeared to be a touchdown.

The catch went on to be overturned on review and Miller left the game, and most likely his season, behind after he landed awkwardly.

The decision is beyond controversial. Miller appeared to secure the ball, yet the powers-that-be decided that he did not have control of it as he went to the ground.

The immediate thought is that it’s time for Chicago to roll out Adam “Baby Gronk” Shaheen. The second-round pick out of Ashland has been a bit of a project thus far.

As the third tight end on the depth chart behind Miller and Dion Sims, he finally has the opportunity to live up to the hype in the coming weeks.

The Chi-town faithful exploded in April when Shaheen was drafted. His tremendous upside is evident, yet he’s been primarily an afterthought in the 2017 run.

Whether they like it or not, the Bears are a work in progress. With Miller out, Shaheen can begin to build chemistry with his rookie counterpart.

Thus far, he’s had a few bright spots here and there. He’s shown the most development as a blocker but he will now have to use his vertical ability to match Miller’s production.

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If not, the Bears will continue to look for weapons in a cupboard that is already bare.