Ryan Poles’ first contract extension as Bears GM is a big one

Bears GM Ryan Poles just gave tight end Cole Kmet a monster contract. Will Poles’ first big extension pay off?

The Chicago Bears locked up one of their top offensive pieces in Cole Kmet, giving him a four-year, $50 million contract extension. Adam Schefter first reported the news.

Kmet’s contract includes $32.8 million guaranteed money and makes him the ninth highest-paid tight end in the league earning $12.5 million a year.

Since taking over Chicago in January of 2022, GM Ryan Poles has made a range of decisions on the spectrum of “wise in hindsight” (trading Khalil Mack) to “time will tell” (trading Roquan Smith) to “probably won’t work out” (trading for Chase Claypool). Where does Kmet’s extension land?

The 2020 second-rounder ranked seventh among all tight ends last year with 50 catches for 544 yards and seven touchdowns. Kmet’s assets as both an acrobatic pass-catcher and sturdy run-blocker make him particularly valuable in Chicago, and he grew into one of Fields’ most reliable targets by the end of the 2022 season.

Chicago also acquired Robert Tonyan earlier this offseason, and Tonyan’s addition could see him and Kmet share the pass-catching workload while Kmet gets used more in blocking for the ground game.

At just 24 years old, Kmet stands out as one of the fastest-growing young tight ends in the league. With this extension, Poles and the Bears are betting that Kmet will continue improving season after season and become as integral to the team as Travis Kelce is to the Chiefs or Mark Andrews is to the Ravens.

As for whether or not this deal will age well, Twitter had some fiery reactions to the Cole Kmet extension.

Bears GM Ryan Poles makes Cole Kmet a top-10 salaried tight end

Kmet’s skillset, age profile, and chemistry with Fields makes him a sneaky good weapon to hold onto, especially considering the diluted tight end market.

He’s one of the biggest risers at the position and should only help Fields flourish with another year under his belt. Kmet’s hefty contract may peeve some running backs in the league who have yet to get their bag, but looking at his impact and numbers on the Bears, he deserves it.

For the sake of Ryan Poles’ future as a GM, Kmet better keep up the pace.