Bears Predicted to Cut Ties With Veteran After Colston Loveland News

The Chicago Bears landed Durham Smythe of the Miami Dolphins during the offseason. Signing him to a one-year, $2.5 million deal, it made sense to add the 29-year-old out of Notre Dame. 

For parts of his career, Smythe has looked to be a decent player, but he didn’t have much of an opportunity to show that during his time with the Dolphins. In 2023, his best season, he finished with 35 receptions for 366 yards, good for 10.5 yards per catch. 

In the explosive Dolphins offense, Smythe wasn’t precisely the best fit. Perhaps a reunion with Ben Johnson will allow him to change that. However, some don’t expect that to be the case, including ClutchPoints, which recently predicted that the Bears would cut ties with Smythe because they decided to draft Colston Loveland out of the University of Michigan. 

“Durham Smythe joined the Bears this offseason looking for a fresh start. After a modest 2023 campaign with the Miami Dolphins, Smythe struggled to find his footing in 2024. Falling behind Jonnu Smith on the Dolphins’ depth chart forced him to look elsewhere. Chicago seemed like an appealing landing spot, at least initially.

“However, the landscape changed drastically in the draft. The Bears used a top-10 pick on Loveland. He brings elite athleticism and soft hands to the position. With Kmet already firmly entrenched as the starter, Smythe now finds himself buried as the potential TE3 on the depth chart. That’s a tough spot for a veteran trying to resurrect his career,” they wrote.

What Does Durham Smythe Bring to Bears?

Smythe is expected to be a player who is safe to make the roster, as he can contribute in other areas for the Chicago Bears. While he isn’t exactly elite in any avenue, he’s a veteran who has proven that he can make plays when needed, and that’s valuable for a Bears offense looking to improve. 

And when speaking to the Bears team reporter after he signed in March, Smythe discussed his connection with Johnson. Johnson was the Dolphins’ receiving coach in 2018, so this will be a reunion for both sides. 

“I hadn’t actually talked to Ben in a while before he called me a couple weeks ago, and it’s like we picked up just where we left off,” Smythe told ChicagoBears.com.

“The thing that stuck out to me was just how fired up he was every day, even to go to practice,” Durham said. “He would wear cleats out to practice and get out there and run with the guys and go through drills with the guys. That’s something that stuck out immediately, especially not knowing anything. That was my first experience in the NFL, and this guy’s out here, coaching receivers with cleats on and running around.”

Durham Smythe Isn’t Safe From Getting Cut

Training camp will show a lot for the Chicago Bears. If Smythe gets cut, it’ll likely come then. 

No team around the league will likely be interested in trading for him, so the Bears would just have to cut him and lose him for nothing. 

There wasn’t much risk in the deal due to the low amount he signed for, but the hope is that things will work out, and there’s reason to believe it could.