Chicago Bears DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

The Athletic's Kevin Fishbain writes that it's hard to see Chicago Bears tight end Gerald Everett sticking around in 2025 to be part of new head coach Ben Johnson's offense after he fell into the team's No. 2 TE role behind Cole Kmet in 2024. Everett signed a two-year, $12 million contract last offseason and caught just eight of 13 targets for a career-low 36 yards and no touchdowns in 17 games (four starts). The 30-year-old veteran carries a $6.5 million salary cap hit for the 2025 season and only $1 million in dead money if he's cut. Everett played in just three snaps in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Green Bay Packers. Heading into his age-31 season, Everett is unlikely to attract much interest on the open market if he's cut, although he did have at least 408 receiving yards in five straight seasons before joining the Bears.

ESPN's Courtney Cronin writes that it's more likely that the Chicago Bears let both wide receiver Keenan Allen and offensive guard Teven Jenkins walk in free agency this offseason. Allen and Jenkins are Chicago's top two free agents this year, but neither are candidates to be slapped with the franchise tag. Allen will turn 33 this year and has clearly declined, while Jenkins missed 23 games over four seasons due to injuries. Allen, a six-time Pro Bowler, predictably disappointed in his first and potentially only year in the Windy City with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams struggling in 2024. In 15 starts, he caught 70 of 121 targets for 744 receiving yards (his fewest in a season since 2016). However, he was money in the red zone with seven touchdowns for the second straight season. Allen developed chemistry with Williams, but he could have more bounce-back appeal in fantasy if he goes elsewhere in free agency.

The Chicago Bears signed free-agent wide receiver Maurice Alexander to a Reserve/Futures deal on Friday, according to KPRC's Aaron Wilson. New head coach Ben Johnson is poaching Alexander from the Detroit Lions after the 28-year-old spent the last three years in Detroit. The former undrafted free agent out of Florida International has only appeared in four NFL games, though, with all of them coming back in 2022. In his four games for the Lions, he caught his only target for a gain of seven yards. Alexander will head to Chicago with a firm grasp of Johnson's offensive concepts, although he will still be a long shot to make the 53-man active roster to begin the 2025 season out of training camp. He will most likely stick on Chicago's practice squad next season.

The Athletic's Dan Pompei believes that new Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson will likely empower quarterback Caleb Williams heading into his second year in the NFL after an up-and-down rookie campaign. Johnson gave QB Jared Goff authority with protection adjustments that not all signal-callers have while serving as the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator, in addition to eliminating plays that Goff didn't like. Johnson was also a big proponent of going for it on fourth down, so the Bears offense should be much more aggressive under Williams in 2025. It's the main reason why Johnson was Chicago's top pick to be their next head coach. Despite plenty of weapons on offense in 2024, Williams was one of the worst downfield passers in his rookie season and had a 62.5% completion percentage to finish as the QB16 in fantasy. The addition of Johnson will surely make Williams a popular breakout candidate in 2025.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams had a cyst removed from his right hand/wrist area, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Last year's No. 1 pick was seen in public wearing a cast, but Rapoport notes that Williams' operation was minor and he is okay. Presumably, he'll have a short recovery team and will be healthy for offseason workouts in a few months. Williams played all 17 games in his rookie campaign, completing 62.5 percent of his passes for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions. As he continues to develop and get more comfortable in the NFL, he should rank as a high-end QB2 with additional upside for the 2025 fantasy football season.