The Chicago Bears are preparing to spend the next three months evaluating the talent they have acquired throughout the 2025 offseason and will need to make some hard choices about which players they will keep on their 53-man roster.
Could their NFL draft decisions prompt them to release one of their veteran free-agent signings from earlier in the spring, though?
The Bears made a bold move in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft last month, using the No. 10 overall selection on Michigan star tight end Colston Loveland. The 6-foot-6, 248-pound tight end will expectedly push veteran tight end Cole Kmet for playing time and also provide quarterback Caleb Williams with another dynamic receiving threat.
The new tandem of Loveland and Kmet, however, has raised questions about the roster security of veteran tight end Durham Smythe, who signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Bears on the first day of the new league year in March.
With Smythe squarely in the No. 3 role now, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox argues that the Bears could release him before the season as they lean into Loveland and Kmet.
“Durham Smythe had a solid season for the [Miami] Dolphins in 2023, finishing with 35 catches and 366 yards,” Knox wrote. “However, he took a back seat to Jonnu Smith last season and looked for a new opportunity with the Chicago Bears this offseason.
“Unfortunately for Smythe, the Bears already employ Cole Kmet and just used a top-10 pick on Colston Loveland. Smythe now finds himself as TE3 on Chicago’s depth chart, at best, and the Bears could save $1 million by releasing him.”
Durham Smythe is Valuable to Bears as Blocking TE
Knox is correct that Smythe’s priority on the Bears’ depth chart has lowered since the conclusion of the 2025 NFL draft. While he stood a chance of winning the No. 2 role before Loveland’s selection, he is now a long shot to ascend above the No. 3 spot for the Bears offense unless an injury to either Loveland or Kmet clears the way for him.
What Knox fails to recognize, though, is Smythe’s blocking ability — which is likely the primary reason why Ben Johnson wanted to add him to his offense this offseason.
Smythe has never been a prolific pass-catcher in the NFL, tallying 132 career receptions in seven seasons with the Dolphins, but he leaned on his reputation as a capable blocker to keep his job in Miami during that time and will likely aim to do the same in Chicago. Johnson is also known for utilizing multiple-tight-end formations for his offense, giving Smythe clear value for the Bears … if he can overcome his below-average play in 2024.
According to Pro Football Focus, Smythe finished with uninspiring grades as both a pass-blocker (53.6) and run-blocker (52.3) for the Dolphins during the 2024 season.
The Bears will need to see more out of Smythe to feel confident about giving him a spot on their roster as their designated blocking tight end, but his roster spot is likely not in any additional jeopardy because of Loveland’s selection in the first round of the draft.
Colston Loveland Could Quickly Claim Bears’ TE1 Role
While Smythe’s roster status is something to watch, the bigger storyline for the Bears’ tight end room in 2025 is where Loveland will fit into the lineup to start the season.
There is no doubt the Bears feel strongly about Loveland’s ability to become an impact player for their offense after spending a top-10 pick on him. In college, he showed off great hands, great ball skills and a vertical-threat ability as a route-runner that could make him a dangerous asset for the Bears, similar to how Johnson used Sam LaPorta during his previous two seasons serving as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator.
Loveland, however, is still recovering from a shoulder surgery that has kept him off the field during offseason workouts. While expectations are that the Bears will fully clear him before training camp, it could leave him behind the curve and playing catch-up behind the more experienced Kmet, who is under contract for the next three seasons.
That said, Loveland can put himself in a position to overtake Kmet in camp if he can quickly grasp Johnson’s scheme and concepts and build a connection with Williams. Even if the Bears commit to trying to use both of them regularly, Loveland has the youth and upside to earn the top role, even if he is only 1A to Kmet’s 1B in the offense.
Bears Predicted to Cut Veteran Free-Agent Signing Before Season