Veteran pass-catcher dubbed Chicago Bears' worst free-agent signing of 2024

The Chicago Bears' 2024 free-agent class produced solid results, but this veteran pass-catcher failed to live up to expectations.

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NFL free agency is a slippery slope. Sure, it's a great roster-building strategy for teams that are a starter or two away from a playoff push, but for clubs in the middle of a rebuild like the Chicago Bears, making a poor decision in free agency can derail even the best general manager's plan.

Fortunately for Ryan Poles, he hasn't made many crippling mistakes in free agency. He hasn't gotten every signing right, but the ones he got wrong weren't fatal salary-cap busting failures.

Take 2024's free agency class, for example. Poles was very active on the open market, which increased the odds he'd get a few signigns wrong. And he did; one of his free agency decisions was a horrendous whiff: tight end Gerald Everett.

Pro Football Focus recently ranked each NFL team's best and worst free-agency signings of 2024, naming Everett as the worst for the Bears.

"Everett was expected to be a complementary piece to Cole Kmet as a receiving threat who could move around the formation," PFF's Dalton Wasserman wrote. "Instead, he caught just eight passes all season and was one of the Bears’ lowest-graded players. He is a potential cap casualty this offseason."

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Gerald Everett went from promising Bears signing to free-agent bust

Hindsight is 20/20. When the Chicago Bears signed Everett last offseason, the transaction was considered a smart move by Poles. Everett was a solid playmaker who had experience in Shane Waldron's offense.

Ugh. Shane Waldron. What a disaster.

Even Pro Football Focus thought the move was at least 'ok.' They gave the transaction a C+.

Here's how they summarized the move:

"Because of Kmet's presence, Everett could see a slight decline in his target share, but he'll be a viable option on third downs for whoever starts at quarterback in Chicago."

Unfortunately, Everett wasn't a viable option. He was no option at all. Eight catches? Embarrassing.

Everett will probably receive his walking papers this season. His dead-cap number is only $1 million, making his release (and bad signing) harmless.

I expect the Bears will be active again in 2025 NFL free agency, with a heavy emphasis on the offensive line. And, hopefully, there won't be another 'Gerald Everett' in the mix.

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