Chicago Bears tight end Stephen Carlson catches a ball during minicamp in Lake Forest, Ill., earlier this summer.
AP file photo
Stephen Carlson is staying with the Chicago Bears after all.
A day after cutting the 2015 Jamestown High School graduate from their 53-man roster, the Bears added Carlson back to their 16-man practice squad.
One of six tight ends on the depth chart entering training camp, Carlson, who began his career in 2019 as an undrafted free agent with Cleveland, caught five of six targets this preseason for 36 yards. His longest grab went for 10 yards.
Carlson, who was active for two games with Chicago last season, was active for 25 games in the 2019 and 2020 seasons for the Browns, catching six of nine targets for 62 yards, including three first downs.
Carlson’s lone NFL touchdown came on a memorable night in Pittsburgh during the 2019 season. On Thursday, Nov. 14, Carlson caught an 8-yard touchdown from Baker Mayfield that gave Cleveland a 21-7 lead after Austin Seibert’s point-after kick.
Unfortunately, that play quickly became overshadowed when, in the final seconds, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett ripped Pittsburgh’s Mason Rudolph’s helmet off his head, wildly swung it at him, and hit the quarterback in the head with it, prompting an ejection and a suspension for the remainder of the season.
At Jamestown, Carlson was a two-time first-team all-state and all-league honoree. He was The Post-Journal Player of the Year in 2014, a Connolly Cup recipient as the most outstanding player in Western New York, and helped lead Jamestown to a 2013 Section VI title and 2014 state championship.
As a junior at Princeton University in 2017, Carlson attained second-team All-Ivy League honors at the wide receiver position after ranking fourth in both receptions (71) and receiving yards (935). He reeled in 11 touchdowns that year, which would have been a Princeton record if teammate Jesper Horsted didn’t end the season with 14. During Carlson’s senior year in 2018, the 6-foot-4 wideout recorded 51 catches for 683 yards and five touchdowns. Princeton had its first undefeated season since 1964 on its way to an Ivy League championship. Carlson earned second-team All-Ivy League honors once again and ended his career ranked third all-time in Tigers touchdown catches (16), eighth in receiving yards (1,632), and tenth in receptions (125). Carlson was a huge factor in making the 2018 Princeton Tigers the highest-scoring offense in Ivy League history, as well as the second-highest-scoring offense and the third-best total offense in the nation.
Chicago’s tight ends who made the final cut in anticipation of the Bears’ season opener Sept. 8 at home against Tennessee are Cole Kmet, Gerald Everett and Marcedes Lewis.