The Bears continue to make moves on offense before the start of the new league year. Tight end Durham Smythe is headed to Chicago. 
Smythe was among the Dolphins’ recent salary cap cuts, and as a result he was allowed to join an interested team before the start of free agency. The Bears are doing just that, inking him to a one-year contract, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. This move will allow the 29-year-old to reunite with new Chicago head coach Ben Johnson, whose Dolphins tenure overlapped for one year with Smythe’s.
The latter joined Miami as a fourth-round pick in 2018; his rookie campaign doubled as Johnson’s last with the team (as a receivers coach). Smythe did not work directly with Johnson, but the two are nevertheless familiar with each other. This pact will mark Smythe’s first with a new team after he enjoyed a seven-year run with the Dolphins.
The Notre Dame product is a veteran of 112 games and 74 starts. Smythe has been a mainstay on offense at times in his career, logging a snap share as high as 76% (in 2023). That figure plummeted to 32% this past campaign, though, with Jonnu Smith becoming an effective contributor atop the tight end depth chart. Despite the fact Smythe inked a two-year extension in 2023, his release thus came as little surprise.
Known much more for his run blocking than his receiving skills, Smythe’s most productive season came in 2023 (35 catches, 366 yards). He will not be counted on to occupy a major pass-catching role with Chicago, of course, with Cole Kmet attached to a $12.5MM-per-year deal. Smythe will instead look to operate as the team’s TE2 after veteran Gerald Everett was released.
Chicago has worked out a pair of notable trades for starting guards in the lead-up to free agency, swinging a deal with the Rams for Jonah Jackson and another with the Chiefs for Joe Thuney. With those additions along with this Smythe signing, the Bears will hope to see an upgrade in run blocking as part of their offensive renovations.