Tight end Gerald Everett thinks “the sky’s the limit” for the Chicago Bears’ offense in 2023, even though the player who likely will have the most to say about the level of play isn’t on the team yet.

After trading Justin Fields, their No. 1 quarterback for the past three seasons and the 11th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, the Bears are expected to select a quarterback with the first pick in the NFL Draft on April 25, with Southern Cal’s Caleb Williams the odds-on choice.

“I’ve had an array of quarterbacks throughout my career, collegiately and professionally,” Everett said, “and I don’t really think that’s going to stop any success that we may have. … Whoever’s at the helm of it, we’ll build that cohesion.”

Everett joined Chicago in free agency for a two-year, $12 million contract that included a $2 million signing bonus and $6.06 million in guaranteed money.

The former South Alabama standout will have a new quarterback in 2024, but he’s not surrounded by strangers in Chicago.

Everett played for the Los Angeles Chargers in the previous two seasons. While Everett had 51 receptions for 411 yards and three touchdowns in 2023 for Los Angeles, which got 108 receptions for 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns from wide receiver Keenan Allen in his sixth Pro Bowl season for the Chargers.

Everett and Allen remain teammates. Chicago acquired Allen from cost-cutting Los Angeles for a fourth-round draft pick last week.

“He was one of the first guys that I actually intertwined with when I joined the Chargers in 2022,” Everett said, “so it’s good to make this transition with a familiar face, or a few familiar faces, rather.”

The Bears also signed linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga from the Chargers in free agency.

Chicago offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was Everett’s position coach as a rookie in 2017, his passing-game coordinator with the Los Angeles Rams for the next three seasons and his offensive coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks in 2021.

The Bears’ offensive passing-game coordinator, Thomas Brown was Los Angeles’ running-backs coach in Everett’s final season with the Rams.

Everett said the appeal of the Bears in free agency included “the culture, rebuilding, obviously having familiar faces, as I mentioned, with Shane and Thomas, etc., etc. And obviously having good pieces in place already. …

“It’s exciting. I think I had a lot of production with both of those guys, and both those guys are extremely good coaches, in my opinion, and I think it will only be up from here.”

Everett said Waldron’s work with him as a Rams rookie is a reason that he’s around to join his old coach seven years later.

“When I was a young rookie, he was a pusher,” Everett said. “But he was also a great teacher, a great mentor and, obviously, a coach. Just from my developmental standpoint, he was pivotal in that, and even now, Year 8, I don’t see that stopping either. …

“He’s like a machine, like a computer almost, the way he processes information and relays it to us as players. I couldn’t say enough about Shane. Obviously, coming to Chicago, he’s a big reason for that as well.”

Among the NFL’s 32 teams during the 2023 season, the Bears ranked 18th in points and 20th in yards.

“The sky’s the limit for us, especially with Shane calling the plays,” said Everett, who termed Chicago as “loaded with talent. Just production has to follow. In this business, as you know, everybody’s talented, everybody’s paid. We’re just trying to build something here special, build off what they did last year.”

The first South Alabama player selected in an NFL Draft when he went 44th in 2017, Everett has 284 receptions for 2,833 yards and 19 touchdowns and 12 rushing attempts for 61 yards and one touchdown in 107 regular-season games. He also had nine receptions for 163 yards and one touchdown in seven playoff games.

“I’ve got history with Shane and the Rams and the Seahawks,” Everett said. “I’ve been productive every year in the league, and I don’t see that stopping any time soon, so I have to be optimistic, especially with Shane at the helm of things.”

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.