Stephen Carlson

Career StatsD+

Year	Team	GP	Rec	Yards	TD
Career		25	6	62	1
2025		2	—	—	—
2024		4	5	36	0
2023		3

Season	Team	GP	Rec	Yds	TD	YPR	Grade
2024		4	5	36	0	7.2	F F Bottom 5%
2020		16	1	11	0	11.0	F F Bottom 5%
2019		9	5	51	1	10.2	F F Bottom 5%

Grades reflect the player's performance in each season. Header grade shows the current season.

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Stephen Carlson's Contract Value Index lands at C, putting the deal in a defined slice of comparable signings. At $1.145M AAV, this is a below-market commitment for a tight end, but the value proposition hinges entirely on what you're getting: a 29-year-old sixth-year veteran operating at a D+ performance level with minimal recent production—just 2 games played in the 2025 season. The sentiment around Carlson is equally modest (C+), but for a specific reason that defines the CVI grade: the narrative is entirely contextual. As the media framing makes clear, Carlson was signed as an injury-replacement placeholder for Colston Loveland, and every headline frames this as emergency depth rather than a strategic investment in his abilities. At this price point and role definition, the Bears are getting what they're paying for—replacement-level depth on a short-term basis—which justifies a C grade rather than dipping lower. The moment Loveland returns to health, expect Carlson to fade back to the practice squad, making this less a roster building block and more a pragmatic short-term patch in the preseason churn. For a front office that is otherwise investing deliberately in defensive help and linebacker depth, Carlson's elevation signals exactly what the sentiment grade reflects: a situational move, not a vote of confidence.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the C band — a quick read on where Stephen's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Stephen Carlson produces at a tier that grades a D+ performance mark for Chicago Bears. The 29-year-old veteran tight end is operating as a replacement-level contributor, elevated into a games-played opportunity only because of injury attrition at the position rather than any organic vote of confidence in his skillset. His 2025 season shows 2 games of action, which aligns with the context baked into his sentiment grade—he is a practice-squad-to-active-roster contingency, not a building block, and the recent headlines make clear that every snap he takes is framed as temporary depth coverage rather than an endorsement of his long-term utility. The one notable flash came via a 36-yard catch-and-run that generated highlight circulation, but that single play does not materially change the underlying production profile of a replacement-level option who remains on borrowed time. Once the Bears' primary tight end returns to health, the expectation is that Carlson's tenure reverts to background noise, a placeholder tenure with no bearing on Chicago's competitive trajectory as the season unfolds.

How Stephen Compares at the Position

Stephen Carlson ranks 108th of 164 graded tight ends by performance. That slots Stephen between Jaheim Bell (D+) just ahead and Julian Hill (D+) just behind.

Fan Sentiment

Stephen Carlson's public perception scores a C+ sentiment grade as fan and media tone converge. The narrative driving his middling sentiment is almost entirely reactive—his elevation from the practice squad exists solely as an injury replacement for Colston Loveland, and every headline frames this as an emergency depth move with zero long-term significance rather than any confidence in Carlson himself. That framing aligns squarely with his D+ performance grade; a single 36-yard catch-and-run flash does not reframe the conversation around a replacement-level player with minimal body of work. The Bears' offseason activity—signing defensive help like Anthony Johnson Jr. and adding depth at linebacker with Jon Rhattigan—signals a front office investing deliberately in roster priorities, which only emphasizes that Carlson's circumstantial elevation is a placeholder, not a strategic investment. The bottom line is straightforward: the moment Loveland returns to health, the expectation is that Carlson returns to the practice squad, and the narrative around his Chicago tenure will close as quietly as it opened.