In many ways, this 2023 offseason is shaping up to be a potentially franchise-altering one for the Chicago Bears. Not only do they have the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, but they’re expected to have north of $100 million in salary cap space to spend.
General manager Ryan Poles will continue his overhaul of this roster, and he’ll have no shortage of resources to do so. That’ll include bringing in plenty of new faces through free agency and the NFL draft. But there are some familiar faces on the roster who Poles should be looking to lock down for the long term.
There are three players from the 2020 draft class, in particular, who are eligible for a contract extension. And the fact that all three play integral roles on this roster serves them well as negotiations could get underway this offseason. There’s also another deserving name set to hit the open market that could be re-signed.
With that in mind, here are four Bears players who should be in line for a contract extension this offseason:
WR Darnell Mooney
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Mooney has been a key part of the Bears offense since being drafted in the fifth round in 2020, and he’s someone Poles will look to lock down for the foreseeable future. Mooney recently changed agencies and joined Athletes First, which suggests an extension could be imminent. Mooney has been one of Fields’ most reliable targets, and considering Chicago needs to surround Fields with viable weapons, re-signing Mooney is a move that makes perfect sense. While Mooney’s 2022 season was cut short with an ankle injury, he was coming off a 2021 campaign where he established himself as the team’s top wideout with 81 passes for 1,055 yards and four touchdowns. Heading into the final year of his rookie deal, Mooney is expected to be a big factor in the passing game.
CB Jaylon Johnson
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Johnson has been a key contributor in the secondary since his rookie season, where he quickly established himself as a rising cornerback. Johnson has served as the Bears CB1 for the last two seasons, where teams have tried to avoid throwing his way. But Johnson has also held his own with some of the NFL’s best wide receivers, including Davante Adams and AJ Brown. While Johnson only has one interception in three seasons, he’s proven to be impactful (when healthy). Considering Chicago is thin at cornerback — and with Johnson’s production — signing him to an extension seems inevitable. Johnson said that last season he’s hoping to sign an extension and continue “to be a Bear throughout my career.”
TE Cole Kmet
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It only took three seasons, but we finally got to see the kind of impact Kmet can have in this Bears offense. Kmet had a breakout year, where he led the Bears in receptions (50), passing yards (544) and touchdowns (7), also a career high. The fact that Kmet had that kind of production in the league’s worst passing offense speaks volumes to the addition of Luke Getsy — and how Kmet can be utilized moving forward. Kmet became arguably Fields’ most reliable weapon, where he was able to pick up yards when the team needed them. Listening to Poles talk about Kmet’s performance in 2022, it seems like a given that he’ll work to keep the former second-round pick in Chicago for the long term. Entering the final year of his rookie deal, look for Kmet to once again be featured in the passing game.
RB David Montgomery
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Montgomery’s situation is different than the other three, as he is the only one set to hit free agency this year. So if a deal is going to be done, it needs to happen this offseason. Montgomery has been one of the Bears’ most consistent offensive players since he was drafted in 2019. The former third-round pick is a physical runner, a solid blocker and a dependable pass catcher. But given running backs are usually indispensable — and with the emergence of Khalil Herbert — could Chicago choose to move on? Poles made it clear that he wants to re-sign Montgomery. But just because the Bears want Montgomery back doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. (Exhibit A: Roquan Smith).
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Story originally appeared on Bears Wire