The Facts: On the day after the Bears’ season ended with a crushing 16-15 playoff loss to the Eagles, Burton was left to explain why he wasn’t available to play in the franchise’s first playoff game in eight seasons due to a groin injury that popped up over the weekend. It started as stiffness, Burton said. He first felt it Friday morning, then, after a full practice, it worsened that night. Still, Burton didn’t think it was much to worry about. At least not until Saturday morning when his groin “was completely locked up.” “I had a tough time walking,” he added.

Diehards Line: Officially, the Bears added Burton to their injury report late Saturday. Ninety minutes before kickoff, however, Burton went from questionable to out. Burton said he never imagined such a spiral when he first felt the groin stiffness Friday. “With the history of my body, that’s what it does. It locks up when it feels any threat,” Burton said. “That’s kind of what happened to me. … I think it’s just my body trying to protect itself.” For the Bears, it also brings a complicated twist to the start of their offseason. Burton was a big part of the offense all season long, recording 54 catches for 569 yards and six touchdowns. That was a solid return on investment for the four-year, $32 million deal Burton signed last March with $18 million guaranteed. Now, though, there will be natural worries over whether the tight end can be counted on in the biggest moments. “My body does that to me,” he said. “Over time, if you look at the history of my injuries, whenever it feels like it’s threatened or something could possibly happen that’s serious, my body locks up. That’s what’s happened to me my whole career. ...” Logged and duly noted.