The Chicago Bears aren’t waiting for the start of the league new year on March 12 to fill out their roster for the upcoming season.
The Bears traded with the Los Angeles Rams for offensive guard Jonah Jackson on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Chicago traded with the Kansas City Chiefs for offensive guard Joe Thuney.
The interior part of the offensive line was the Bears’ most pressing need entering the offseason. However, general manager Ryan Poles has plenty of other areas to beef up for 2025.
The Chicago Bears added another pass catcher
On Thursday, the Bears signed tight end Durham Smythe, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
“The Bears are signing former Dolphins TE Durham Smythe to a 1-year deal, source says, as he’s back with Ben Johnson — his former WRs coach in Miami. Smythe was one of the longest tenured Dolphins,” posted Rapoport on X.
The #Bears are signing former #Dolphins TE Durham Smythe to a 1-year deal, source says, as he’s back with Ben Johnson — his former WRs coach in Miami. Smythe was one of the longest tenured Dolphins. pic.twitter.com/KCc7YclSVu
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 6, 2025
Durham Smythe knows Cole Kmet and Ben Johnson
Smythe played for Notre Dame from 2013-2017, overlapping with Bears tight end Cole Kmet in 2017. The Dolphins selected Smythe in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, so he played with new head coach Ben Johnson previously.
The six-foot-six, 246-pound tight end has appeared in 112 games and started 74. He’s caught 132 passes for 1,228 yards, and three touchdowns. Unsurprisingly, Smythe isn’t best known for being a receiving tight end. He was primarily used as a blocker for Miami.
Smythe appeared in 17 games but started in just four for the Dolphins in 2024. He caught nine receptions for 53 yards. He had his best receiving year in 2023 when he caught 35 passes for 366 yards.
Per Pro Football Focus, Smythe earned a 43.3 overall grade on offense in 2024. At 29, Smythe can provide depth for the Bears. However, his signing shouldn’t stop Poles from trying to improve the unit in a good year for the position in the draft.
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