Out of concussion protocol

Sims (concussion) is not on Tuesday's initial injury report for the regular-season opener against the Packers, Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Analysis: Sims remained in the concussion protocol into late August, but some additional rest appears to have moved him out of it. He should serve as the top backup to offseason acquisition Trey Burton, coming off a 15-catch 2017 campaign.

Still in concussion protocol

Sims remains in the concussion protocol Friday, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Analysis: Sims has been in the concussion protocol for about two weeks. With fellow tight end Adam Shaheen sidelined indefinitely following a right foot/ankle injury sustained in the Bears' preseason game against the Broncos, Sims could make the 53-man roster as a backup to starter Trey Burton if he can clear the concussion protocol in due time. A solid blocker that's never tallied as much as 300 receiving yards in a season, Sims is a long shot for fantasy relevancy in 2018.

Unlikely to play Saturday

Sims is unlikely to play in Saturday's preseason tilt against the Broncos due to a concussion, Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Analysis: Sims must clear the league's concussion protocol before returning to action, while Adam Shaheen and Ben Braunecker could be in line for additional reps at tight end behind starter Trey Burton on Saturday.

Sims remained on the Bears' roster after March 16, at which point $4 million of his $6 million salary became guaranteed.

Analysis: Sims seemed like a goner once the Bears added Trey Burton to a tight end group that includes 2017 second-round pick Adam Shaheen. There's no question Burton will serve as the top pass catcher among the bunch, but Sims' continued presence on the roster suggests Chicago brass isn't entirely confident in Shaheen's ability to take on the in-line blocking role. Sims is a solid blocker, one who's yet to reach 300 receiving yards in a season since entering the league as a fourth-round pick of the…read more

Sims may be released this offseason, Patrick Finley of The Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Analysis: Signed to a three-year, $18 million contract last offseason, Sims started all 14 games he played in 2017 but only caught 15 of 29 targets for 180 yards and a touchdown. He's primarily valued for his blocking, which probably isn't enough to justify a $6 million salary in 2018. Barring an agreement on a pay cut, the Bears figure to release Sims before March 16 when $4 million of the $6 million would become guaranteed. The team would prefer for 2017 second-round pick Adam Shaheen to take over as…read more

Sims failed to catch his only target in the season finale against the Vikings, finishing the year with 15 receptions for 180 yards and one touchdown.

Analysis: Sims functioned as the primary blocking tight end for the Bears, and he should continue to function in a full-time role as he enters the second year of a three-year contract in 2018. However, the Bears will likely expect Adam Shaheen to emerge as the primary receiving tight end, so unless Shaheen struggles or gets injured, it's unlikely that Sims becomes a consistent fantasy option.

Sims caught one pass for nine yards in the Bears' Week 15 loss to the Lions.

Analysis: As often is the case, Sims primarily served as a blocker, and he was only targeted a single time despite Mitchell Trubisky throwing the football 46 times. With 15 or fewer yards in five of his last six games, he hasn't been a strong fantasy option this year.

Sims caught two passes for 32 yards in Chicago's Week 14 victory over the Bengals.

Analysis: Even though Sims saw just one fewer target than Adam Shaheen, he helped the Bears move the chains with a pair of grabs that netted at least 13 yards each. He's caught more than two passes in a game just once all season, and this was the second time all year that he's exceeded 17 yards, making him a low-upside fantasy option.

Sims caught one of two targets for five yards in Sunday's 15-14 loss to the 49ers.

Analysis: Sims saw two of the three targets that Mitchell Trubisky threw to his tight ends, as Chicago attempted only 15 passes. With a total of 17 yards over his last four games and only one game with more than 17 yards on the season, he doesn't get enough volume to be a reliable fantasy option.

Sims (illness) is active for Sunday's game against the Eagles, Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Analysis: Sims missed the Bears' last two games while battling a fairly serious illness, but he took part in all of the team's practices in some capacity this week, resulting in him gaining clearance to play. Prior to missing time while he was under the weather, Sims was the top backup to Zach Miller, who has since been shut down for the season after suffering a gruesome knee injury Oct. 29 against the Saints. A starting role could await for Sims, but he may have to settle for sharing duties at tight end…read more

Sims (illness) was a full practice participant Friday but is listed as questionable for Sunday's game in Philadelphia.

Analysis: After missing every practice and both games the past two weeks, Sims returned as a limited participant Wednesday and repeated the feat Thursday. His step forward Friday suggests he's on track for Sunday, though it shouldn't be assumed until the Bears release their inactive list at approximately 11:30 a.m. ET on Sunday. With rookie second-round pick Adam Shaheen looking good in Sims' absence, the veteran may find himself sharing snaps and targets, just as he did when Zach Miller (knee) was…read more

Sims (illness) was a limited practice participant Wednesday.

Analysis: A mystery illness has kept Sims away from the field for two games, but his return in some capacity Wednesday indicates he's beginning to regain his health. He would help himself by getting through the week unscathed, but his absence has paved the way for the emergence of rookie tight end Adam Shaheen, who has hauled in all six targets for 80 yards and one touchdown during that span. Once Sims is cleared to play again, it's unclear what kind of snap count he can expect.

Sims (illness) is listed as inactive Sunday against the Lions.

Analysis: Sims rose to the top of the tight end depth chart following Zach Miller's season-ending knee injury, but has been unable to take advantage of the opportunity due to injury concerns of his own. With Sims sitting out his second straight game, look for Adam Shaheen and Daniel Brown to split the bulk of tight end snaps in Week 11. It was Brown that saw more offensive snaps last week against the Packers, but Shaheen had 18 more receiving yards despite one less target.

Sims (illness) missed another practice Friday and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Lions, Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com reports.

Analysis: Sims hasn't practiced the past two weeks while recovering from an unspecified illness. With Zach Miller (knee) already out for the season, a second straight absence by Sims would leave Adam Shaheen and Daniel Brown to get most of the snaps at tight end. The two split playing time pretty evenly in last week's 23-16 loss to the Packers.

Sims (illness) didn't practice Wednesday.

Analysis: According to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Bears head coach John Fox said Sims has been ill for two full weeks at this point. While the tight end has resumed working out, Fox considers Sims "day to day," per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. With two practices remaining this week, Sims' presence at one or both of them would bode well for his chances of playing (and likely starting) Sunday against the Lions.

Sims (illness) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Packers.

Analysis: Sims likely would have been in line to make his first start of the season at tight end with Zach Miller (knee) placed on injured reserve earlier this week, but the illness prevented that from materializing. Sims was unable to practice at all this week and will get a few more days to recuperate before the Bears resume practicing next Wednesday in preparation for a Week 11 matchup with the Lions. Look for Adam Shaheen and Daniel Brown to handle nearly all the offensive snaps at tight end against…read more

Sims (illness) didn't practice Friday and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Packers.

Analysis: While it's rare for a player to miss a game due to an illness, Sims' continued absence from practice casts doubt upon his Sunday availability. Coming out of a Week 9 bye, he also missed practice Wednesday and Thursday. With Zach Miller (knee) out for the season, Sims figures to handle a hefty snap share whenever he's healthy enough to do so. Should Sims miss Sunday's game, the Bears will turn to some combination of Adam Shaheen, Daniel Brown and Ben Braunecker.