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CHICAGO, Ill. - The Chicago Bears are adding to their tight end room in free agency.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Bears have agreed to terms with tight end Gerald Everett. The eighth-year tight end spent the last two seasons in Los Angeles, playing for the Chargers.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Everett agreed to a two-year deal worth $12 million with $6.1 million of that money fully guaranteed. The deal reportedly has a max value up to $14 million.
This is the second addition for the Bears in the 2024 free agency period.
In 2023, Everett caught 46 passes for 376 yards and three touchdowns. The best season of his career came in his first year with the Chargers in 2022. He caught 58 passes for 555 yards and four touchdowns.
Everett has ties to new Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. He played under Waldron from 2017 to 2020 when Waldron was the Los Angeles Rams' tight ends coach in 2017 and then the Rams' passing game coordinator from 2018 to 2020, and again in Seattle during the 2021 season when Waldron was the Seahawks' offensive coordinator.
In 2021, Everett had 48 catches for 478 yards and four touchdowns.
DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 31: Gerald Everett #7 of the Los Angeles Chargers runs the ball during an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High on December 31, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
What it means for the Bears
Everett's signing most likely means the Bears are moving on from McHenry, Illinois, native Robert Tonyan.
Tonyan had 11 catches for 112 yards in his only season with the Bears, which was primarily as a blocking tight end behind starting tight end Cole Kmet.
Everett's signing gives the Bears two able pass-catchers at tight end now. It's even more significant that Everett has experience playing in Waldron's offense. This brings an important veteran to the Bears locker room that can help the other players understand Waldron's offense.
Moving on from a blocking tight end to a pass-catching tight end also might mean the Bears could see an uptick in tight end usage in the passing game next season.
So far in free agency, the Bears have signed two offensive players: Everett and D'Andre Swift. Both are offensive players that fill specific needs in Waldron's offense.
Both acquisitions deepen their respective position rooms, giving the Bears two tight ends capable of starting in the NFL and three running backs who have seen significant playing time.
Chicago Bears reportedly agree to terms with RB D'Andre Swift: What it means for the Bears
The free agency negotiating period is open, and the Chicago Bears took less than a half hour to strike their first deal.