The Chicago Bears will begin their 2024 training camp without one of their most notable veteran free agent signings in the fold due to an unknown injury.
According to the team’s official transaction wire for July 19, the Bears placed veteran tight end Gerald Everett on the active/non-football injury list with an undisclosed injury on Friday after he and the Bears’ other veteran players reported for camp.
The Bears signed Everett — formerly of the Los Angeles Chargers — to a two-year, $12 million contract during free agency in March, adding another proven pass-catcher to the room alongside starter Cole Kmet after Robert Tonyan Jr. left for Minnesota. The 30-year-old caught more than 50 passes in each of his past two seasons with L.A.
The Bears also activated undrafted rookie defensive end Jamree Kromah from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list on Friday.
Earlier in the day, Bears general manager Ryan Poles shared that Kromah had a “small operation” on his finger during the offseason that resulted in him landing on the PUP list on July 17. He also said he did not know how soon he would be able to return.
Kromah’s quick activation, however, indicates that he could be back on the field — at least in a limited capacity — when the Bears hold their first practice on July 20.
No Gerald Everett Puts Emphasis on Other Bears TEs
The Bears have not shared any details about Everett’s injury yet. In fairness, Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus spoke to media on Friday before their veterans had finished reporting and likely didn’t know for certain Everett would land on the NFI list, but his injury designation does raise questions about how quickly he will return to the field.
In the meantime, though, the Bears will have to shift focus to their other tight ends, which could help them in the long run as they try to figure out their best options for their 53-man roster and practice squad heading into the 2024 season.
The Bears looked like they might have a genuine competition for the No. 3 tight end spot early in the offseason, but they nipped that in the bud when they re-signed veteran Marcedes Lewis to a one-year contract on June 10. Lewis added a leadership presence to their locker room in 2023 and has been a reliable run-blocker for the duration of his career. As long as he stays healthy, the 40-year-old should be a lock for their roster.
Still, the other tight ends on the 90-man roster should see an uptick in practice reps for however long Everett is sidelined. Stephen Carlson returns after spending the 2023 season on the Bears’ practice squad and could be next in the pecking order, but the Bears also added Tommy Sweeney (six-year veteran) and Brenden Bates (undrafted rookie out of Kentucky) during the offseason.
The three of them are likely competing for one practice-squad spot with the Bears, so it is a competition worth monitoring.
Kiran Amegadjie Remains on Injury List, As Expected
While Everett’s addition to the injury list is a surprise, the Bears appear to be heading into camp in a mostly healthy place as far as their roster is concerned. The only other player on one of their injury lists at this time is third-round rookie Kiran Amegadjie, who is still recovering from partially tearing his quad muscle last October at Yale.
The Bears officially placed Amegadjie on the NFI list on July 17 when rookies reported for camp, but his placement on the injury list was not nearly as unexpected as Everett’s. Amegadjie missed the entire offseason program for the Bears, something they expected, and Poles remains optimistic about his recovery despite not knowing when he’ll return.
“He has done an outstanding job this offseason working and rehabbing,” Poles said Friday. “We love his work ethic; that’s one of the reasons that he’s here. He is progressing, everything is positive, but I do not have a specific timetable right now.”
The Bears knew that Amegadjie would need time to recover when they drafted him in April, but his return will be crucial to the construction of their offensive line. Once healthy, the Bears are hoping he will compete for the swing tackle role behind starters Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright, but his contention for that role remains on hold until he is healthy enough to return to the field.
In the meantime, Larry Borom and Matt Pryor will likely be the second-string tackles.
