According to a person familiar with the situation, the Chicago Bears and former Los Angeles Chargers tight end Gerald Everett have struck an agreement on a two-year contract worth $12 million, with $6.1 million guaranteed.
The arrangement was revealed by the source, who remained unidentified to The Associated Press, because free agents aren’t allowed to formally sign with new teams until Wednesday. The news was initially reported by ESPN.
The Bears have strengthened their secondary in addition to acquiring Everett, as agent Sunny Shah of NFL Network has announced that safety Jonathan Owens has agreed to a two-year contract. Owens contributes his knowledge to the team and is married to the most decorated gymnast of all time, Simone Biles.
Everett gives the Bears more depth at tight end with his 284 receptions for 2,833 yards and 19 touchdowns across seven seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and Los Angeles Chargers. He hauled in 51 passes for 411 yards and three scores with the Chargers in the previous season.
Everett’s arrival gives the Bears a potent backup option behind recently completed career-best season Cole Kmet. Kmet had career highs in catches (73), yards (719), and touchdowns (6) following his July signing of a four-year, $50 million contract deal through 2027.
Gerald Everett, NFL Credits
Everett provides knowledge to the system having previously worked with new Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron while he was with the Rams from 2017 to 2020 and with Seattle in 2021.
After spending four years in Houston, Owens—a Division II graduate of Missouri Western—was a member of the Green Bay Packers during the previous season. In his 17 games with the Packers, he started 11 of them. He recovered a fumble and made three pass breakups in addition to scoring a touchdown.
Owens thanked the Packers and their supporters and conveyed his excitement for the new chance, represented by a bear emoji with a downward arrow on X. In a string of tweets, Biles expressed her love for Chicago and her joy at being able to take nonstop flights to see her spouse.
The Bears have been busy in the summer, acquiring the No. 1 and No. 9 overall picks in the upcoming draft, adding talent like veteran safety Kevin Byard and running back D’Andre Swift, and securing Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson with a four-year, $76 million agreement.
