CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- Bears coach Matt Nagy could sense the heartbreak in veteran tight end Trey Burton, who was sidelined in the Bears' 16-15 season-ending loss to the Eagles in the wild-card round at Soldier Field on Sunday evening.
Burton wanted to suit up and face his former team on the playoff stage. Instead, he didn't dress after a bizarre groin injury surfaced early Saturday morning that ultimately kept him from playing.
The details surrounding Burton's injury weren't revealed after the game, and Nagy seemed surprised by the developments that took a key piece of his offense out of a playoff game.
"It's strange," Nagy said. "I'm not a doctor, but I don't really have an answer for you."
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Burton woke up with pain in his groin Saturday morning and reported it to the Bears' medical and training staff. The team evaluated his injury, ran tests and hoped he could play. By late Saturday night, Burton was officially listed as questionable. He didn't even test it out pregame at Soldier Field early Sunday afternoon.
Without Burton, the Eagles defense focused more on running back Tarik Cohen, who finished with just four touches, including one rush for zero yards.
The Bears signed Burton to a four-year, $32-million deal in March after he served as the Eagles' third tight end last season. He had lived up to the Bears' belief, posting 54 receptions for 569 yards and six touchdowns this season.
But when the Bears needed Burton against his former team, he couldn't go.
"It crushed him," Nagy said. "It absolutely crushed him. He feels bad, because he feels like he wasn't there for his guys."
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The Bears also played without All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson, whom they designated as active but decided not to play as he was still hampered by a right ankle sprain that he suffered on Dec. 16. Third-year pro Deon Bush assumed Jackson's role at safety and played solid, but the Bears could've used one more star on defense.
Jackson practiced in a limited fashion Thursday and Friday, his first action since going down. However, the Bears didn't feel comfortable playing him after pregame testing.
With the Bears in need of a takeaway late in the fourth quarter to seal a victory, they were without Jackson, he of six interceptions and two defensive touchdowns. The Eagles scored the go-ahead touchdown with 56 seconds left.
"Man, when you talk about Eddie Jackson, All-Pro first-team, you know you're going to miss those type of guys," linebacker Khalil Mack said. "It's up to the other guys to step in and fill that void. They did it for the most part. But on the back end, we let it slip away from us."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
