One day after the Bears
signed Cole Kmet to a lucrative contract extension, one of the tight end’s teammates delivered a special message to general manager Ryan Poles.
“I had a player come up to me after practice today and said, ‘Hey, you sent a ton of energy through the locker room because you guys are taking care of the guys in there,'” Poles told reporters Thursday at Halas Hall.
Kmet, who was entering the final season of his rookie deal, inked a four-year extension through 2027. Last season the 24-year-old led the Bears in all receiving categories with 50 receptions, 544 yards and seven touchdowns while playing in all 17 games.
“It’s good to get an extension done when you have a good player like Cole,” Poles said. “I do think it energizes the locker room. Especially this being my first extension, it sends a good message. I think everyone knows me, what I stand for, what I believe in in terms of taking care of your players. But there is always action that needs to come behind words. So I do think it helps the locker room see that ‘all right, if I continue to do what I’m doing, there’s a chance I can be in that mix.’ I think that’s always positive.”
Kmet first landed on Poles’ radar when the 6-6, 260-pounder was playing at Notre Dame and the Bears general manager was working in the Chiefs’ personnel department.
“I remember watching him in college when I was in Kansas City and obviously the size is what stands out first and foremost,” Poles said. “Then you see the athlete; the combination of the size and the athletic ability and then the toughness. I still remember there was a play on the sideline against Georgia … he just throws the dude on the ground as he’s churning to get extra yards. You see just how he was wired and how he played the game.
“Then when we get here [last year], [and he’s] the same guy and he continues just to get better and better with the way he approaches practice. Then we saw the production in his season. I felt like he was growing, especially in the red zone, scoring touchdowns. All of that has come togeth
