We continue to profile the 25 most important Chicago Bears players as we look at newly added tight end Gerald Everett.
As the Chicago Bears inch closer to the start of training camp, we continue profiling the 25 most important players for 2024. Today we are at number 22, tight end Gerald Everett.
Everett was a part of general manager Ryan Poles‘ overhaul of the Chicago Bears offense. He came to Chicago via free agency to complement TE1 Cole Kmet. With new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, the Bears will utilize a lot of two-tight end sets. That means the offense needs two strong tight ends to play well.
Last season, Kmet had another good season. Despite some shaky play at the quarterback position, he had 73 catches for 719 yards and 6 touchdowns. He and wide receiver D.J. Moore were the two most dependable receivers on the roster.
Aside from Kmet, however, there was not much production. Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis combined for 15 catches for 141 yards and 1 touchdown. Now that Waldron is running the offense, the Bears need a lot more help from the TE2. Everett is that option.
Everett, on the other hand, can be valuable. Last season, he had 51 catches for 411
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yards and 3 touchdowns. That is a possible 120+ catches, 1,100+ receiving yards and 10+ touchdowns coming from the top two tight ends which is elite production from that position. In his two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, he had 109 catches for 966 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Gerald Everett can be a great asset for the offense. He has good hands, runs good routes, and can be a decent blocker. He and Kmet give rookie quarterback Caleb Williams two big, athletic targets. That comes in handy, especially in the red zone. Williams will have a plethora of options to go to. Having two of the biggest targets on the field gives him a huge security blanket.
With the Los Angeles Chargers, Everett was valuable in the passing game. His ability to gain yards after the catch was invaluable. In 2022, he averaged 5.6 yards after the catch. In 2023, it held steady, with an average of 5.4 yards. Over that time, he forced 28 missed tackles, second most among tight ends.
Additionally, Everett has a knack for making plays in big moments. Of his 284 career catches, 167 resulted in either a first down or a touchdown. That is a 59 percent success rate. Add that to Kmet, who has 119 of 211 for 56 percent. Williams can feel confident that throwing to them will result in big plays.
Everett also makes a lot of contested catches with his excellent body control. He uses his 6-foot-3, 250-pound body to shield the defender from the ball.
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Everett is familiar with Waldron. He played with the Seattle Seahawks in 2021 when Waldron was the offensive coordinator. Additionally, he played for the Los Angeles Rams from 2017 to 2020 where Waldron was a tight ends coach and passing coordinator. He knows what Waldron looks for so he can assist his teammates who are just learning the system.
That familiarity will also be great for Williams. Since Everett already knows the system, he can help Williams know where everyone is supposed to be and when to throw the ball to get it in a great position for the receiver. If there is someone who can build great rapport and chemistry it will be Everett.
With Everett, the Chicago Bears also have flexibility. Waldron can move him around the field. According to Pro Football Focus, Everett played 570 snaps last season. Here is the breakdown of where the Chargers lined him up:
- Inline: 307
- Slot: 167
- Wide: 70
- Backfield: 26
Gerald Everett could have a big season in Chicago this season. He fits in well with what Shane Waldron wants to do since he already played in the system. Furthermore, he gives Chicago an additional receiver who can gain yards after the catch.
The Bears have Moore, and Kennan Allen (another former Charger), two receivers who have shown the same ability to make plays after the catch. They also drafted Rome Odunze, who also can make big plays. That makes the Bears’ offense very dangerous.
We can expect some big plays from Gerald Everett when defenses key in on the other targets. Everett could have a sneaky big season.
Here are the previous choices: #25: Tory Taylor #24: Velus Jones #23: Jack Sanborn
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