Extensions to Cole Kmet, Darnell Mooney would snap Bears decade-long drought

The Bears haven’t extended a tight end or wide receiver that they drafted in over 10 years. Here are the last players to get new deals.

The Chicago Bears have decisions to make regarding a few of their veteran players from their 2020 draft class who are now eligible for extensions. Two of those players. tight end Cole Kmet and Darnell Mooney, are each entering their fourth year with the Bears and are eligible to sign an extension to remain with the team after the 2023 season.

Kmet has improved in each season as a professional and is coming off a season in which he led the Bears in catches (50), yards (544) and touchdowns (seven). Mooney, meanwhile, entered the 2022 season as the unquestioned top wide receiver for the Bears. He was looking to build off his first 1,000-yard season, but suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 12. He still finished the second on the Bears in receptions (40) and yards (493).

The Bears have a chance at not only locking up two key offensive skill players, but skill players who were homegrown as well. It’s something the team hasn’t excelled at in recent years, with no tight ends or wide receivers signing multi-year extensions after being drafted by the Bears in over a decade.

Since then, the Bears have picked 12 receivers and three tight ends through the 2022 season. Here are the last two players to receive multiyear extensions at those positions who were drafted by the team and how their careers fared after the fact.

Bears re-sign OL Rashaad Coward, TE J.P. Holtz to 1-year deals

The Bears have re-signed two exclusive-rights free agents in OL Rashaad Coward and TE J.P. Holtz.

The Chicago Bears announced Friday that they’ve re-signed offensive lineman Rashaad Coward and tight end J.P. Holtz to one-year deals.

Coward and Holtz were exclusive-rights free agents, which means that they had expiring contracts with fewer than three accrued NFL seasons and were only permitted to negotiate with their own team.

Both players saw playing time with the Bears last season due to injuries at tight end and offensive line.

The Bears lost their top three tight ends to injured reserve last season, which gave young players like Holtz an opportunity to step up. Holtz led a disappointing tight end group in receiving with 91 yards. His best performance came against the Cowboys, where he led the Bears with 56 receiving yards on three catches in Week 14 win.

Coward converted to offensive tackle in 2018, but he didn’t see any action that season. But Coward stepped in for an injured Kyle Long, who suffered a season-ending injury early-on last season. Coward started 10 contests for the Bears at right guard.

Coward will get a chance to compete for the starting right guard spot, where he’ll battle the likes of newcomer Germain Ifedi and Alex Bars.

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