Bear Digest

Bears Focus on Tight End Spot with Two Personnel Moves

Stephen Carlson has been promoted to the 53-man roster and a replacement with starting experience was added to the practice squad.

Gene Chamberlain

Stephen Carlson hauls in a pass during warmups prior to the Bears-Bills preseason game.
Stephen Carlson hauls in a pass during warmups prior to the Bears-Bills preseason game. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
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The Bears made two roster moves with the tight end position, which could signify an injury or a move to keep another team from signing away one of their practice squad players.

They signed tight end Stephen Carlson to the 53-man roster from their practice squad and then signed tight end Teagan Quitoriano to the practice squad to take Carlson's place. This gives them four tight ends on the 53-man roster.

Carlson was with the Bears roster and the practice squad last year. The 27-year-old Carlson played in only one game last year and was not targeted with a pass. In each of the past two year, he made five preseason receptions for the Bears, this year for 36 yards and last year for 47 yards.

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Quitoriano spent the last two seasons with the Houston Texans and started 11 games while playing in 16.

A fifth-round pick by Houston in 2022, Quitoriano has nine receptions for 146 yards and six touchdowns.

The Bears can't be displeased with starter Cole Kmet, who has 15 receptions. He rates among their highest graded players.

However, second tight end Gerald Everett has been targeted five times with three catches for no gain. Third tight end Marcedes Lewis hasn't been targeted yet and is a mainly a blocking tight end.

Everett has a 44.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, which is extremely low. He has been better as a blocker, grading out at 54.3 on 21 running plays and 66.7 on eight attempts to pass block.

Lewis has a 62.3 blocking grade for 26 runs and an excellent 76.6 for five pass blocks.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.