Among their several free agency conundrums, one of the biggest for the Chicago Bears is what to do at inside linebacker. No fewer than three of their key players at that position are coming out of contract. Longtime starter Danny Trevathan is one along with backups Nick Kwiatkoski and Kevin Pierre-Louis. The biggest conversations by a wide margin center around Kwiatkoski.
When he stepped in as the starter after Trevathan suffered his nasty elbow injury, people were shocked at how well he played. The 26-year old was all over the field. He made tackles, delivered big hits, sacked the quarterback, and even showed significant improvement in coverage. Apparently his surge down the stretch caught the attention of the rest of the NFL.
According to Adam Hoge of WGN, the buzz is getting serious. Kwiatkoski may have a major market waiting for him next month. So much so that it might force the Bears to let him walk.
"There’s a lot of buzz about Nick Kwiatkoski in NFL circles, especially because he’s only 26 and put together outstanding film in 2019. As a result, there’s a growing expectation that Kwiatkoski is going to get paid well in free agency. Trevathan, meanwhile, turns 30 next month and comes with additional injury concerns, potentially lowering his price. The Bears still like Trevathan and he may be a player that hits the open market only to realize his best option is to stay in Chicago, especially since he’s already a key starter on a very good defense."
Nick Kwiatkoski feels like another Adrian Amos situation
A lot of Bears fans really would like to see Kwiatkoski stay. That's not hard to understand. He's a great story. A 4th round pick out of West Virginia. He started as a backup in 2016 and kept working hard over four years. Finally, when his opportunity came, he seized it. People want to see him rewarded for that and be a member of this front seven for years to come. Except the fundamental rule of football remains the same.
Not everybody can get paid.
GM Ryan Pace knows there is only so much money to throw around. He's already done it a ton on defense. Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman, Kyle Fuller, and now Eddie Jackson have all received lucrative extensions. One must remember that Roquan Smith will likely get one of his own in the near future if he plays at the level he showed last season before his pec injury. So the Bears have to make a decision. Is Kwiatkoski a budding star or just a really good role player?
It's the same question they asked with Adrian Amos last year. We all saw how that ended up going. Kwiatkoski has every right to pursue a big payday and the Bears just aren't equipped to give it to him.
The silver lining is they could likely end up getting a compensatory pick for him in 2021 should that happen.
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