Bears Now Officially Know What A Cole Kmet Extension Will Look Like

The Chicago Bears have three players on their roster who seem like reasonable options for potential contract extensions: Jaylon Johnson, Cole Kmet, and Darnell Mooney. Johnson recently hired an agent, so it seems he's finally getting serious about negotiations. Mooney is a favorite inside Halas Hall but missed a large chunk of last season with an ankle injury. His production also took a dip. Of the three, Kmet enjoyed the best season with 544 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns. GM Ryan Poles singled him out as somebody the team wants to get a deal done with.

The obvious sticking point is money. Both sides need to agree on what fair compensation would be for Kmet. Nobody would consider him anywhere near the same echelon as Travis Kelce or George Kittle. Still, he's not a scrub, either. There has to be a sweet spot somewhere. The Jacksonville Jaguars may have provided one. Reports surfaced on Sunday that they'd reached an agreement with tight end Evan Engram on a three-year contract extension worth $41.5 million. It works out to $13.83 million per year, making him the sixth-highest-paid player at the position in the NFL.

Cole Kmet has every reason to use that deal in his own case.

Engram is 28 years old. Kmet is 24. While the Jaguars standout had 222 more receiving yards last season (766), the Bears' starter scored more touchdowns (7 to 4). So the productivity is relatively even. There is also the fact Kmet is a far better blocker. If Engram is worth that money as a pure receiving weapon for Jacksonville, he should be worth as much to Chicago as a two-way weapon who never leaves the field. It is a valid case. What isn't certain is whether Poles would go for that.

The Bears GM likes Cole Kmet. That much is obvious. Yet it's important to remember two things. He didn't draft the tight end and has never listed that position as "premium" when discussing where money and resources should be focused. Is he willing to put Kmet on the same financial as Mark Andrews? That is a difficult conundrum. There is no denying he brings value to the offense in various ways, but he's also not a star. Maybe there is still more growth on the horizon. It is his second year in the same offense.

Truth be told, the Bears have more than enough money to accommodate Kmet. He's a good player. Justin Fields loves him. Extending a homegrown product like that would be a positive message at every level.