Veteran tight end Gerald Everett signed a two-year, $12 million contract last offseason. He won’t receive the opportunity to finish that deal.
The Chicago Bears announced on Feb. 21 that they have released Everett. They also cut veteran defensive end DeMarcus Walker.
Bears Save Salary Cap Space With Gerald Everett’s Release
The Bears cut Everett after he experienced a very disappointing first season with the organization. He only had eight catches for 36 yards despite playing in all 17 of Chicago’s regular season games.
We have released Gerald Everett and DeMarcus Walker.
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) February 21, 2025
Part of why Everett didn’t have more production is because he didn’t see the field very often. He played just 22% of Chicago’s offensive snaps, which set a new career low. With the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023, Everett played 56% of his team’s offensive snaps while dressing in 15 games.
Everett was set to count as a $6.5 million cap hit in 2025. With his release, the Bears save $5.5 million against the cap. They will incur a $1 million dead cap hit for the 2025 season.
Before the 2024 season, Everett had surpassed the 400-yard mark in five consecutive seasons. He had a career-high 58 catches and 555 receiving yards with the Chargers in 2022.
From 2020-22, Everett averaged at least 10 yards per catch every season. During that stretch, he played for three different teams — the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and Chargers.
In Chicago, Everett averaged under a target per game with only 13 in 17 contests. He also averaged only 2.8 yards per target.
Over eight NFL seasons, Everett has posted 292 receptions, 2,869 receiving yards, and 19 touchdowns in 124 games.
Gerald Everett Joining a Weak TE Free Agency Class
Although he’s coming off the worst statistical season of his career, Everett may not remain a free agent for long. PFSN’s Alex Kennedy called tight end “without question” the weakest free agent group in 2025 NFL free agency. Kennedy ranked veterans Zach Ertz and Mike Gesicki as the top two tight ends set to be available in free agency.
“Zach Ertz has turned back the clock with Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders, as the 34-year-old has caught 66 passes for 654 yards and seven touchdowns,” Kennedy wrote.
“Mike Gesicki had a very productive year catching passes from Joe Burrow. He didn’t receive much interest last offseason and collected less than $500,000 guaranteed on his Cincinnati Bengals contract, but Gesicki responded by catching 65 passes for 665 yards and two touchdowns this season.”
SEE MORE: Top 100 NFL Free Agent Rankings
Fellow veterans Tyler Conklin, Austin Hooper, and Juwan Johnson rounded out the top five free agents at tight end on Kennedy’s list.
“Tyler Conklin is a three-down tight end — that alone should land him a two-year deal in 2025. Juwan Johnson has flashed at times but still isn’t considered a needle-mover,” Kennedy said.
Everett began his NFL career as a second-round pick for the Rams in the 2017 NFL Draft. Although he only had 16 catches as a rookie, Everett posted a 15.3 yards per reception average in 2017, which remains a career-high.
In four seasons with the Rams, Everett posted 127 catches, 1,389 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns in 61 games. After 2020, Everett stayed in the NFC West with the Seahawks. He then played two seasons for the Chargers before signing with the Bears.
The last two contracts Everett signed were both two-year deals worth $12 million.
