Bear Digest

Tight ends available for Bears after cutting Gerald Everett

Gerald Everett's departure opens the way for a possible free agent to come to Chicago and here are the top-ranked tight ends available with projected costs.
Gene Chamberlain|
Saints tight end Juwan Johnson rates as the best available tight end in free agency according to two websites.
Saints tight end Juwan Johnson rates as the best available tight end in free agency according to two websites. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Considering the Bears are down to one tight end with NFL experience, they're unlikely to fill their needs for Ben Johnson's offense entirely in the draft.

Cutting Gerald Everett didn't do much damage considering he had just eight receptions on 13 targets but he did play 246 snaps of offense. They need replacement help.

They no longer have veteran Stephen Carlson under contract after he spent most of the last two years with their practice squad.

Johnson is a head coach who used more than one tight end on just over 35% of the snaps in Detroit last season after being slightly lower than that in 2023.

They'll most likely need to sign at least one veteran free agent.

Here are the unrestricted free agents expected to be available. In a description of one tight end, Pro Football Focus assesses the full crop rather bluntly, saying there "...will be slim pickings ...," with tight ends.

Juwan Johnson, Saints

He's No. 1 for tight ends but only rated 48th overall by ESPN and 37th by PFF. Johnson has averaged 29.2 catches per season over five years but has stepped up his production to 50 catches last year and 548 yards. He has averaged 11.2 yards a catch. A U- or move-tight end, Johnson is 6-foot-4, 231 and smaller than some wide receivers in the NFL. He's projected at $10.1 million a year by Spotrac.com and $9.7 million a year for three years by PFF. Would he follow Dennis Allen to Chicago?

Mike Gesicki, Bengals

Now 92, Gesicki is 6-6, 252 and can help as a blocker although he has been mainly a pass catcher. He had 65 receptions last year, second-highest total of his seven-year career. He has 22 career TDs and is rated the 77th overall free agent by PFF, and they project him at $6 million a year for two years while Spotrac.com says $6.7 million a year. Either way, it's about what the Bears paid for Everett last year.

Tyler Conklin, Jets

The 83rd best free agent for PFF, he spent four years with the Vikings and three with the Jets and came into his own as a receiver when he got the chance to play more in New York. He had 170 of his 263 receptions in his three Jets seasons and has averaged 9.7 yards for his career with 11 TD catches. Fairly sure-handed, Conklin has a 69.9% career catch rate.

Both Spotrac.com and PFF project him at three years and $9 million a year.

Zach Ertz, Commanders

The Bears sampled how much Ertz has left at age 33 during the season as he had seven catches against them in the Hail Mary game. Ertz had his highest catch total since 2021 with 66 catches 654 yards and seven of Jayden Daniels' TD throws. PFF calls him the 95th best free agent available overall and he could be a bargain according to them at $3.5 million a year. Spotrac.com has him at $5.3 million a year.

Austin Hooper, Patriots

The 6-4, 254-pounder is now 30 and had his best season since 2020 with 45 receptions for 476 yards. In nine years, he has 409 catches for 4,178 yards and 28 TDs. He's rated the fourth-best free agent tight end by Pro Football Network and has a market projection of $4.1 million by Spotrac.com.

Tommy Tremble, Panthers

The 6-4, 250-pounder will be remembered by Bears fans for lowering his helmet and causing both his own concussion and a season-ending one to Jaquan Brisker. The 24-year-old fifth-year tight end wound up getting fined $17,083 for breaking the rules with his helmet use on the play. Tremble hasn't had more than last year's career-high 23 catches and 234 yards. He has nine career TDs. Pro Football Network's sixth-ranked free agent tight end, he has a projected market value of $5.8 million a year according to Spotrac.com.

Jordan Akins, Browns

He's been a useful player for Houston and Cleveland with 206 catches in seven seasons for 2,277 yards, averaging a healthy 11.1 yards a catch. The 6-4, 245-pounder has been projected at $2.9 million a year by Spotrac.com.

Mo Alie-Cox, Colts

A bigger tight end who is now in his eighth year, he had 12 catches for 147 yards last season, his fewest receptions since 2019. His entire career has been with the Colts and he has 15 TD catches to go with 114 receptions for 1,433 yards. Projected by Spotrac at $2 million a year.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.