Adam Shaheen has been a bit of a head-scratcher for the Chicago Bears so far in his rookie season.

Taken in the second round out of Ashland this past April, Shaheen was a star during OTAs and training camp for the Bears. The massive (6'6", 270 pounds) tight end was consistently beating his man off the ball and was making plays all over the field. So far through eight career games he has caught just one pass for two yards and a score.

Through his first eight games in the NFL he has played just 104 snaps, accounting for just 20.39 percent of the team's plays on offense. For comparison sake, Dion Sims has played 352 snaps (69.02%) and Zach Miller has played 314 snaps (61.75%) for the Bears this season.

With Miller going down with a knee injury in Week 8 against the New Orleans Saints that will end his season, a lot of pressure will now be placed on the second-round pick to finally live up to his potential.

“Zach’s our guy,” Shaheen said after the team's Week 8 loss, via Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times. “But he’s not gonna be there to tell everybody what they’re doing and do all that stuff. So somebody’s going to have to step up. I know myself and the other tight ends are ready to help out.”

Shaheen has made strides as a blocker, something that many believed he would struggle with at the NFL level, and he's proud of his progress up to this point.

“From night and day, I feel like,” Shaheen said about his blocking, via Potash. “That’s what my role has been. That’s what I’ve been focused on.

Without Miller on the field Shaheen could take over the role of the "move" tight end. Miller occupied that role of being the pass-catcher with Sims playing more of a blocker's role. The team could try to use Daniel Brown more as the "move" tight end, but Shaheen is prepared to do whatever the team asks of him.

“I’m excited to do whatever they ask me to do,” Shaheen said, via Potash.“Blocking and sticking my head in there and mashing skulls — I’ve loved it. When I get the rock thrown my way, I love that, too. But tight end isn’t a one-dimensional thing. We all love all aspects of it. That’s football.”

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Shaheen caught 57 passes for 867 yards with 16 touchdowns in his final collegiate season and will now have an opportunity to prove himself at the NFL level once the Bears get back onto the field in Week 10 against the Green Bay Packers.