But Chicago Bears rookie Ben Braunecker isnt most college kids. Braunecker put up career numbers with the Bears last season, logging six catches for 59 yards and his first touchdown across 11 games. Follow me on IG. With Chicago running many formations of multiple tight ends, Braunecker saw three targets while Trey Burton was eased back into the lineup as he recovers from offseason groin surgery. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. (Laughs). "It's been interesting and troubling for me as well," Braunecker said Monday morning on the Mully & Haugh Show. Hes very motivated. Shaheens window passed the moment the Bears handed $16 million to Jimmy Graham and spent a 2nd round pick on Cole Kmet. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. This does save nearly $1.5M of cap space. The previous two Ive taken online classes one in exercise physiology, one in immunology and one in stem cell regenerative biology. @Ben_Braunecker. He attended Harvard's Pro Day and was able to beat his combine time and numbers. Several analysts were surprised by Brauneckers release, as he knows the offense well, and has been a solid presence on special teams. 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. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Despite having showcased a step forward in his development, offseason additions Cole Kmet, Jimmy Graham and Demetrius Harris have now made Braunecker the odd man out in Chicago's crowded tight end room. I follow the Bears and I hadnt ever heard of him before today. More News Ben Braunecker: Let go by Chicago The 26-year-old Braunecker, who played his college ball at Harvard, has been with the Chicago Bears since signing with the team as a undrafted free agent in 2016. He sat there all weekend waiting for his name to get called, and when it didnt, it really got under his skin. Furniture. Sunday was the realization of the NFL dream . But that didnt stop Bears GM Ryan Pace who quickly picked up the phone at the conclusion of the draft and invited Braunecker to camp. Teammates have taken a liking to him. He was a core special teams performer for them. Nothing will be easy for Braunecker, but he is definitely up for the challenge. The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalised web experience. It seems like every year bigger and bigger names keep making these career-transforming moves at an accelerated rate, so its interesting every year. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. As Burton sees an increase in playing time, Braunecker will become the Bears' third-string tight end, which likely won't carry much fantasy value. 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? Chicago Bears tight end Ben Braunecker caught two passes for 24 yards in the team's 16-14 win over the Broncos in Week 2. After his release, the Bears now have eight tight ends on the roster. BroBible is the #1 place on the internet for the very best content from the worlds of sports, culture, gear, high tech, and more. Braunecker graduated from Harvard University with a degree in molecular and cellular biology and has spent the last four seasons as a tight end and standout on the special teams unit for the . Bears Begin Roster Cuts, Release Tight End Ben Braunecker, Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. So if we have any questions, I go straight to him. Braunecker (concussion) was listed as a non-participant in Tuesday's practice. Braunecker spent the last two summers working at the biochemistry lab at Harvards Medical School. I knew about it, but Ive never witnessed it in practice, especially on this scale. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Braunecker was seventh on the team in special teams snaps last year, so someone will have to fill his role in that capacity. With Trey Burton (calf) on injured reserve and Adam Shaheen (foot) sidelined, Braunecker had his second-straight start and was targeted three times. He has two passions in life: football and infectious disease. Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 26 years old? Braunecker is smart, but being he has a legitimate career in waiting doesnt mean hes any less motivated to make the Bears roster. Well see how that goes, but thats my tentative plan when football is done. The Bears on Thursday released veteran tight end Ben Braunecker. Braunecker dropped a long pass that could have potentially been a touchdown, and as a result, he ended up with a quiet performance. Parsons thinks the 26-year-old will eventually be bought out and spend the rest of his career making the league minimum. 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. Before settling down at BroBible, Douglas Charles, a graduate of the University of Iowa (Go Hawks), owned and operated a wide assortment of websites. Golics wife, Christine, said he even pitched the idea of reuniting with longtime co-host Mike Greenberg, who is set to return to radio for ESPN, but the idea was rejected. Simmons has been one of the most polarizing athletes in recent memory because of how unique his career arc has been compared to most players considered to be All-Star level players. Braunecker's season will come to a close with six receptions for 59 yards and one touchdown. 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. That is the only explanation that makes sense anymore. Braunecker caught two passes for 24 yards in the Bears' 16-14 victory over the Broncos on Sunday. The Bears made a surprising cut Thursday. Kevin Fishbain is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Chicago Bears. Thankfully the lethality rate isnt higher, but still, I was shocked and I was one of those people whose minds had to be changed. Boots, hats, denim, anything goes! After Braunecker, J.P. Holtz (24 percent) and Bradley Sowell (three percent) played much smaller roles. Latest on TE Ben Braunecker including news, stats, videos, highlights and more on NFL.com The Bears on Tuesday placed receiver Darnell Mooney and safety Eddie Jackson on injured reserve and promoted rookie safety A.J. The questions dont pop up too often because everyones so focused, but when they do, its almost a nice relief to me to bring what I know to the table and make myself useful. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Most people were just curious. Its also been interesting to me as well to learn alongside everybody else while this is going on. More News Ben Hull is in tonight's Coronation Street, playing a business associate of Sarah Barlow called Owen. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. Ben Braunecker contract and salary cap details, full contract breakdowns, salaries, signing bonus, roster bonus, dead money, and valuations. Ben Braunecker 's tenure with the Bears has come to an end. Just getting really creative with workouts to stay in shape and keep your strength up. July 23, 2020. Braunecker is still working through the league's concussion protocol and will miss a third straight game. All Shaheen has to do is stay healthy. 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. 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 . According to the Count's analysis of which prospects fared best, tight end Ben Braunecker was the standout performer. Its a pretty interesting and unprecedented time to try to prepare your body for football activities. (Kena Krutsinger / USA Today), linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe was pre-med at Western Kentucky, Guard James Daniels was a biology major at Iowa. It kind of wants me to get the ball rolling with all this but in due time. The Bears on Tuesday released veteran defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad. Braunecker (concussion) didn't practice Thursday. Braunecker is expected to be the Bears' primary tight end Sunday against the Giants in the absence of Adam Shaheen (foot). Harvard? Braunecker is still working through the league's concussion protocol and will miss a third straight game. Especially given his lack of special teams presence. After 20-plus years on the radio hosting shows like The Bruno-Golic Morning Show (ESPN Radios first morning show), Mike & Mike, and Golic and Wingo, ESPN decided his work there was done when they announced on July 9 that the company would be cancelling Golics show with Trey Wingo. Would love your thoughts, please comment. The Harvard graduate was a fun story in Chicago. It all makes sense and its something that we need to do so we dont overwhelm the healthcare system. @oneoftenk. Braunecker wouldve been cut too, but he deserved to go after Shaheen. Muhammad appeared in 16 games with nine starts in 2022, registering 29 tackles and one sack. People ask me my take on anything in medicine or science. Youre really just trying anything. NFLDraftScout.com ranked him the sixth best tight end out of the 102 available. You cant really go to any gym and lift weights. When youre in-season, do guys ever ask you questions because of your unique interests? It could also very well come down to which of the two can be the more effective contributor on special teams, though. Do you look at it differently based on your educational background? Ben Braunecker has more value than Shaheen at this point This can only be called pure favoritism on the part of GM Ryan Pace. Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons remains the team's biggest question, according to an article published by Bleacher Report on Thursday.