Chicago Bears release TE Gerald Everett, DE DeMarcus Walker

The Chicago Bears released veteran tight end Gerald Everett and veteran defensive end DeMarcus Walker on Friday afternoon.

The two moves will save the Bears a combined $10 million in salary cap space for the 2025 season.

Everett spent only one season with the Bears, while Walker was with the team for two years.

Everett originally signed with the Bears a year ago on a two-year, $12 million contract. He had previously played for the Los Angeles Rams, the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Chargers.

Everett came to Chicago after working with then-Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron at previous stops. The two had worked together with both the Rams and the Seahawks.

But in his lone season in Chicago, Everett failed to carve out much of a role in the offense. In 17 games, he totaled just eight receptions for 36 yards. During his seven NFL seasons prior to joining the Bears, Everett averaged more than 400 receiving yards per season.

The Bears are just beginning the process of rebuilding their offense under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. A big part of building a successful passing attack for quarterback Caleb Williams will be finding a way to involve the tight end position.

Top tight end Cole Kmet also saw a drop in production in 2024. In Detroit, Johnson helped tight end Sam LaPorta catapult himself into a Pro Bowl appearance as a rookie in 2023. The hope is that Johnson could do the same for Kmet.

After releasing Everett, the Bears have just three tight ends under contract for 2025. In addition the Kmet, the team signed tight ends Jordan Murray and Joel Wilson to futures contracts.

Walker, 30, appeared in 34 games and totaled seven sacks over two seasons in Chicago. He signed a three-year, $21 million contract with the Bears as a free agent ahead of the 2023 season.

He was a vocal leader for the Bears defense, but he never quite became a consistent disruptor for the defensive line. In 2024, Walker finished second on the team with 44 QB pressures, per NFL Next Gen Stats, but those 44 pressures resulted in only 3.5 sacks.

With an additional $10 million in salary cap space, the Bears have about $79 million to spend ahead of free agency, which begins in two weeks.