The winds of change are blowing through Halas Hall, as the Chicago Bears have made their first cuts of the Ben Johnson era.
On February 21, the Bears officially announced the release of tight end Gerald Everett and defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker, moves that collectively free up $10.75 million in salary cap space.
Chicago now has just under $80 million in available cap to spend, per Over the Cap. The cuts of both veterans kick off what promises to be an eventful offseason for the Bears, who have the fourth-most cap space in the NFL behind the New England Patriots ($128 million), Las Vegas Raiders ($99.5 million) and Washington Commanders ($82.2 million).
Bears Cutting TE Gerald Everett Is No Surprise After His 2025 Campaign
In the 2024 offseason, the Bears signed Everett to a two-year, $12 million contract, aiming to bolster their offense with his experience and versatility. Everett, who previously played for the Los Angeles Chargers, was expected to complement the Bears’ existing tight end corps and provide quarterback Caleb Williams with a reliable target. His prior seasons showcased consistent performance, including a career-high 58 receptions for 555 yards and four touchdowns in 2022.
But Everett’s 2024 campaign with the Bears fell far short of expectations. Throughout the season, he participated in all 17 games, starting four, but managed only eight receptions for 36 yards without reaching the end zone once. This decline in production was surprising — and significant, considering his previous contributions in more dynamic offensive roles.
Several factors likely contributed to Everett’s underwhelming performance. The Bears’ offensive scheme, under former coordinators Shane Waldron and Thomas Brown, saw a general reduction in tight end utilization, which affected not only Everett but also top tight end Cole Kmet, who experienced a notable decrease in targets.
Everett was targeted just 12 times over the season. There were eight games where he didn’t receive a single target. Despite a respectable 72.6 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, he was utilized in pass-blocking roles in just nine of the 17 games. This misalignment between Everett’s skill set and his deployment likely contributed to his diminished impact on the field. Now, he’ll get an opportunity elsewhere.
Bears Will Be Looking for Loads of Pass Rush Help After Cutting DeMarcus Walker
After previous stints with the Denver Broncos, Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans, Walker inked a three-year deal worth $21 million with Chicago in 2023.
In his inaugural season with the Bears, he played in all 17 games, starting 12 of them. He finished with 30 tackles (9 for loss), 16 quarterback hits and 3.5 sacks.
Building upon his 2023 performance, Walker’s 2024 season saw him starting all 17 games for the Bears. He increased his tackle count to 47, including 25 solo tackles and 7 TFLs, and matched his previous season’s sack total with another 3.5 sacks. His presence on the defensive line was never that of a consistent disruptor, though, and the Bears could really use a few more of those.
No disrespect to Walker — he’s a decent rotational player — but the Bears need to add another pass rusher capable of getting at least 7.0 sacks per season, not one who reaches that total in two or three seasons.
With the draft kicking off on April 24 and the first day of free agency coming before that on March 12, we’ll know soon how Johnson and company plan on replacing the roster holes left by Everett and Walker.
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