NEWSLETTER
It had been too quiet for the Chicago Bears on the free-agent front for my liking.
But the Bears are making noise again by coming to terms with free-agent tight end Gerald Everett, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Meanwhile, here is Adam Schefter chiming in with the contract details:
NFL FREE AGENCY TRACKER: LIVE!
After watching some of the tight ends fly off the board yesterday with deals that I wouldn’t be comfortable seeing a Bears TE2 getting, seeing the salary numbers for Everett from Chicago makes me think that this looks like a steal. Or maybe this is just me talking myself into what I think to be a suitable deal for a player I thought was a worthwhile fit for the Bears in 2024.
For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus was projecting a one-year deal worth $5.5 million for Everett with $4 million guaranteed. Everett’s deal with the Bears isn’t all that far off. It just has another year on it and with just $2 million more guaranteed. I’ll be curious to see how the specifics and structure look for this one.
Who is Gerald Everett and why is he set to sign with the Bears?
Everett, 29, was Pro Football Focus’ fourth-highest ranking free agent tight end and came in at No. 84 on the site’s list of 100 best free agents entering the offseason. He is coming off a season in which he caught 51 passes, gained 411 receiving yards, and scored 3 touchdowns. In 2022, Everett set career highs in catches (58) and receiving yards (555) while tying his career high in touchdowns (4). Everett has caught at least 40 passes and gained 400+ receiving yards in each of the last four seasons. And he’s done it catching passes from Jared Goff, Russell Wilson, and Justin Herbert.
At a minimum, the Everett signing is one where you’re buying some positional and production certainty. And at first blush, I don’t hate it.
Once the signing becomes officially official, Everett will team with Cole Kmet, who had a breakout season of his own in 2023. Considering how often new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron runs two tight end sets, I think we’ll see a lot of this due in 2024.
More on the signing later…
