Now that the dust has settled on the 2025 NFL Draft and the Chicago Bears' 90-man training camp roster is basically set, the harsh reality of the business side of football will soon come into focus.
It's especially true for veteran players who just watched their team spend an early-round pick on a promising rookie at their position. It's even worse for those veterans if that early-round pick was a first-rounder. And even worse if it was a top-10 pick.
That's exactly the reality facing the Bears' tight ends after Chicago spent the 10th overall pick on former Michigan standout Colston Loveland, whose role on offense is expected to be similar to what Sam LaPorta starred in for the Detroit Lions under Ben Johnson.
The Bears currently have five tight ends on their roster: Loveland, Cole Kmet, Durham Smythe, Stephen Carlson, and Joel Wilson. They carried three tight ends on the roster for most of the 2024 season, and with Loveland and Kmet locks to make the team, the TE3 role is a training camp battle worth monitoring.
Before the NFL Draft, Smythe had an inside track at making the team. He was signed by this Bears regime before the start of 2025 free agency after he was let go by the Miami Dolphins, where he played all seven of his pro seasons after entering the NFL as a fourth-round pick out of Notre Dame.
Smythe played under Johnson (who was the Dolphins' wide receivers coach) during his rookie season, and brings more of a traditional blocking tight end's skill set to Chicago.
But there's nothing particularly exciting about Smythe's upside, making him a likely cut candidate, according to a new breakdown of every team's top chopping block veteran.
"Unfortunately for Smythe, the Bears already employ Cole Kmet and just used a top-10 pick on Colston Loveland. Smythe now finds himself as TE3 on Chicago's depth chart, at best, and the Bears could save $1 million by releasing him."
Smythe's addition didn't move the needle much this offseason. In fact, it didn't move the needle at all. It should come as no surprise that his roster spot is on life support, and if the Bears have to choose between a player with 1,228 career receiving yards in seven seasons or a younger option with a yet-to-be-told NFL story, they should take the mystery box of youth and let Smythe walk.
Loveland and Kmet are a fantastic 1-2 punch in the tight end room, making TE3 a role that should be reserved for a young, well-rounded option who can contribute on special teams, which isn't Smythe's calling card, either.
