Months after acquiring D.J. Moore, the Bears will soon have another high-end skill-position contract on their books. The team is set to extend Cole Kmet.
The fourth-year tight end agreed to a four-year deal worth $50MM, per ESPN’s Field Yates and Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The former second-round pick will receive $32.8MM guaranteed and $20MM in the first year of the contract, an agreement that will tie the promising pass catcher to Chicago through the 2027 season.
This is a reasonable re-up for the Bears, who will have Kmet tethered to the NFL’s ninth-most lucrative tight end accord. Kmet and Hunter Henry will share this distinction. Considering the Patriots inked Henry to his deal nearly 2 1/2 years ago, this could certainly represent good value for the Bears. The contract comes after David Njoku, Dawson Knox and Evan Engram agreed to deals between $13-$14MM per year. Kmet not reaching that territory is interesting, as the cap is back on the rise, but this still brings a nice payment to a player who took a step forward despite a run-heavy offense last season. Kmet also received the fifth-most guaranteed money at his position.
Part of a 2020 Chicago draft class that has included a few long-term starters, Kmet totaled seven touchdown receptions last season. While his yardage total (544) dipped from 2021 (612), he did not find the end zone during Justin Fields‘ rookie year. The Bears will expect the Notre Dame product to be a key Fields option going forward.
An Illinois native, Kmet arrived in Chicago as the No. 42 overall pick in 2020. Kmet was the team’s top pick that year, with the Khalil Mack trade costing first-round picks in 2019 and ’20. The Bears concluded their Jimmy Graham partnership after that season and gave the keys to Kmet, who has been a steady player since becoming the team’s top tight end. Kmet, 24, has not missed a game over the past two seasons. Fields has some questions to answer regarding his viability as an NFL passer, and the organization — one that passed on taking a quarterback this year, trading out of the No. 1 spot to add Moore and future assets — is counting on Kmet being a big part of of the talented QB doing so.
This marks the first big extension of Ryan Poles‘ Bears GM tenure. Two other members of the 2020 class — Darnell Mooney, Jaylon Johnson — loom as extension candidates for the Bears, who will have Fields eligible for a re-up in January.
Seems like a pretty reasonable deal and makes sense for both sides. Win-Win. I like those. He certainly earned an extension.
Seems reasonable until you consider Barkley makes less money. You can’t tell me Kmet is more skilled or valuable than Barkley
TE’s are considered more valuable in today’s pass happy league. While I agree with the above comment, unfortunately it is what it is.
Somewhere Josh Jacobs is not smiling right now
Your point seems irrelevant, unless you’re simply pointing out the devaluing of RB contracts with a silly comparison.
I absolutely can tell you he’s more valuable that Barkley. RB market is over saturated with good RBs which is why you don’t pay them top dollar, the drop off from #1 to #30 isn’t that drastic.
just hope that if Kmet and Fields become the best version of themselves and become a great combination that Kmet doesn’t come back next year and whine about being underpaid. Finish the deal. Even Travis Kelce is underpaid by a lot and when Fields gets his in the next couple of years the Cap will be a little more difficult to manage.
In more ridiculous news Ngakoue now says he wants to play for the Bears. Because he now realizes he was stupid for waiting this long and that no contender wants him which is what he was saying all summer. Now all the sudden he sees the 32 million in cap space and thinks he’s gonna rob the Bears. I’d tell him to keep walking. There’s always the USFL.
I think Virginia McCaskey still has the first nickel her daddy George Halas gave her. It’s pretty hard to rob those kind of people…unless your name is Mike Glennon.
Technically money is not a problem, but only for 1 year. Im guessing Poles wants to give a 1 year deal to a DE, not what most FA DEs are likely looking for. However, Poles made his bed (by the Claypool trade, and then not moving up to get a DE in the draft) and now must lay in it. The DE position needs to get upgraded if not just to ensure the Bears are somewhat competitive this season.