The Gerald Everett experiment is officially coming to an end after one season with the Chicago Bears.
The veteran tight end took to social media on Friday to announce his farewell from the Bears' organization.
Chicago, it was brief and a learning experience but i appreciate the love the city and the team showed me!
— Mr. Everett (@lightningstrk12) February 21, 2025
Looking forward to the next chapter.
On to the next!
Everett inked a two-year deal with the Bears last offseason, reuniting with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. In fact, Everett was an example of how Waldron didn't fully understand the players he had to work with among the Bears' offense. While Everett has flashed in the past as a pass-catching tight end, he is far less of an accomplished tight end than Cole Kmet; despite that fact, Waldron insisted on Everett being the primary tight end to open the 2024 season.
Eventually, there was a course correct within the Bears' offense and Kmet went back to his rightful place as the Bears' primary tight end. Everett finished the season with 36 receiving yards on 8 receptions.
Bears News: Gerald Everett cut is no surprise
With Waldron fired by the Bears in-season, Everett was expected to be among the team's cap casualties ahead of the new league year in March. By releasing Everett, the Bears are saving $5.5MM in cap space.
Even with Everett being released, there remains an expectation that Johnson will look to bolster the tight end room this offseason. Kmet will be the primary pass-catching tight end in the Bears' offense, but it's possible the Johnson will look to add a blocking tight end. There will be options available on the free-agent market.
It also seems that the Bears won't be done trimming their roster ahead of free agency next month. Looking beyond Everett, other players who could be cut to create additional salary cap space are Ryan Bates, Kevin Byard, and DeMarcus Walker. Bates and Byard could still have value on the Bears' roster for the 2025 season, given the state of the offensive line and Jaquan Brisker's health, but Walker will likely see a diminished role next season with rumors of the team looking to bolster the defensive line.