Bears save cap space, release DeMarcus Walker, Gerald Everett
CHICAGO — The Bears announced the release of defensive end DeMarcus Walker and tight end Gerald Everett on Friday.
The moves save Chicago an estimated $10.75 million in salary cap space. Walker, 30, was set to make $5.2 million in the final year of his contract and carried a $5.916 cap hit.
The Bears signed the veteran pass rusher to a three-year deal in 2023 worth $21 million with $15.65 million in guaranteed money. Walker started 29 games over two seasons in Chicago, including all 17 last year when he totaled a career-high 16 quarterback hits along with eight tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
Everett signed a two-year, $12 million contract with Chicago last March but was seldom used in the Bears’ offense (eight receptions for 36 yards). The Bears targeted the tight end in free agency because of his ties to former Chicago offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, with whom Everett had overlapped while playing for the Rams and Seahawks.
Everett’s release nets the Bears $5.5 million in cap savings.
Bengals release veteran DT Sheldon Rankins after one season
CINCINNATI — One of the Cincinnati Bengals’ prized free agents from a year ago is no longer on the roster, as the team released defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins on Friday.
Last offseason, Rankins signed a two-year deal worth $24.5 million. However, after playing in just seven games in the first season of that deal, Cincinnati opted to part ways with the veteran.
When Rankins signed with the team in 2024, he was projected to provide a big boost for Cincinnati’s defensive line. The year before joining the Bengals, Rankins had six sacks with the Houston Texans. Three of those occurred in a 2023 win against the Bengals, one of Rankins’ top career performances.
However, injuries and illness played a role in Rankins not panning out in Cincinnati. He missed three games with a hamstring injury before returning in Week 6 for the next five games. During that span, he totaled one sack and one quarterback hit.
The 31-year-old missed the final seven games of the regular season with what coach Zac Taylor initially said was a viral illness. At one point later in the year, Taylor expressed optimism that Rankins could return to play. However, he never returned and was eventually placed on the non-football injured reserve in Week 18, the final week of the regular season.
Rankins was due a roster bonus on March 17. By releasing him on Friday, the Bengals will gain $9.6 million in salary cap savings while also occurring a dead money hit of $2 million against the cap.
Cincinnati is looking to retool a defense that struggled last season. Despite career years from quarterback Joe Burrow, wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and defensive end Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati finished with an 9-8 record and missed the postseason for a second straight year.
