Chicago Bears release first NFL Draft pick from South Alabama

Posted by author February 22, 2025 NFL

Spread the love

Coming off the least productive of his eight NFL seasons, tight end Gerald Everett has been released by the Chicago Bears, the NFL team announced on Friday.

Everett joined Chicago as a free agent last offseason for a two-year, $12 million contract. He played in every game for the Bears in 2024, but the former South Alabama standout had only eight receptions for 36 yards.

By releasing Everett, Chicago sliced $5.5 million off its salary-cap obligations for the 2025 season while retaining $1 million in dead money.

Everett’s contract contained $6.06 million in guaranteed money – a $2 million signing bonus and a $4.06 million base salary for the 2024 season. The Bears don’t owe Everett any money for the 2025 season.

In 125 NFL regular-season games, Everett has 292 receptions for 2,869 yards and 19 touchdowns and 12 rushing attempts for 61 yards and one touchdown. He also has nine receptions for 163 yards and one touchdown in seven playoff games, all with the Los Angeles Rams.

The first NFL Draft pick from South Alabama, Everett played for USA in 2015 and 2016, joining the Jaguars when UAB dropped its football program after his single season with the Blazers in 2014.

Everett is a free agent for the fourth time in his NFL career. This is the first time it has been involuntarily.

Everett played the first four seasons of his career with the Rams after entering the NFL as a second-round selection in the 2017 draft. Everett left Los Angeles for the Seattle Seahawks in 2021, moved from the Seahawks to the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency in 2022 and joined the Bears last year.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.