‘Special’ guy: Bears see ‘a lot of upside’ in Super Bowl hero Trey Burton

Tight end Trey Burton will forever be a hero in Philadelphia for his role in “Philly Special,” the gadget play that propelled the Eagles to their upset of the Patriots in Super Bowl LII.

But in Chicago, he’s just another piece in the puzzle in the Bears’ rebuild.

So, maybe not surprisingly, “Philly Special” didn’t come up until the tail end of Burton’s 11-minute introductory news conference Thursday at Halas Hall — the 20th question to be exact.

How do you top that play?

“Do it again,” said the 26-year-old Burton, who threw the one-yard touchdown pass to quarterback Nick Foles at the end of the first half to give the Eagles a 22-12 lead. “Do it again here in Chicago.”

The Bears first have to become relevant again and make the playoffs for Burton to even have that chance. Though wide receiver Allen Robinson is the marquee addition in free agency this season, Burton is arguably the most intriguing.

The Bears signed him to a four-year, $32 million contract that includes at least $18 million guaranteed. His $8 million average salary makes him the sixth-highest-paid tight end in the NFL, according to spotrac.com — behind Jimmy Graham, Travis Kelce, Jordan Reed, Rob Gronkowski and Zach Ertz.

Those five players have combined for 15 Pro Bowl berths, eight 1,000-yard seasons and 210 touchdowns. Burton has 63 receptions for 629 yards and six touchdowns in 61 games over his four-year career. His 300 offensive snaps last season (26.5 percent) were third on the Eagles behind Ertz (778) and Brent Celek (462).

With 2017 second-round pick Adam Shaheen and Dion Sims on the roster, the Bears in effect splurged on a versatile player who they feel is a great fit for their offense. The 6-2, 228-pound Burton is a pass-catching “move” tight end who should complement both the blocker Sims and the potentially downfield, big-play Shaheen.

“Trey just fits a lot of qualities we’re looking for in this offense,” Bears general manager Ryan Pace said. “As a receiver, he has the ability to separate. He’s got good hands. He’s an intelligent player. And we feel there’s a lot of upside ahead of him. We feel this offense can maximize that upside.”

Burton showed his potential in Week 14 when Ertz missed the Rams game with a concussion. Burton had five receptions for 71 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-35 Eagles victory.

Regardless of his contract, Burton still figures to be a complementary piece in this offense, with the potential for breakout performances.

“I don’t really pay too much attention to what other guys are getting paid,” he said. “I am really confident in my ability, and unfortunately I was backlogged behind Zach — probably one of the best in the NFL — and Celek, who is a legend in Philadelphia.

“I had to know my role back then and do it when I had an opportunity to play. I tried to make the most of it, and nothing is going to helchange here. Still trying to make the most plays I can.”

So with Shaheen still expected to eventually blossom into a Kelce/Ertz type of tight end, Burton figures to pick his spots. As he has already demonstrated, he doesn’t have to be prolific to impact a game.

“The end goal is winning,” Burton said. “If that [means] me playing a lot more, then let’s do it. If it [means] me playing a smaller role, then I’m all for it. At the end of the day, you guys want us to win, we want to win, and that’s what it’s all about — bringing the Super Bowl here.”

Follow me on Twitter @MarkPotash.

Email: mpotash@suntimes.com