5 reasons Chicago Bears extending Cole Kmet was an easy decision

The Chicago Bears extended Cole Kmet, the first of a few big decisions that the team will have to make before the season starts. This was also one that had many fans split. Some see this as a no-brainer, while others think it is an overpay and a bad use of resources. While the case can be made for both, it ultimately was a decision the Bears had to make.

Cole Kmet has more production than some fans realize

Fans will look at Cole Kmet, see his stats, and think they are not all that impressive. However, they are not factoring in multiple things. First, Kmet will be only 24 years old this year, and more than that, most tight ends do not even break out until later in their career.

So, when you look at the production of Kmet in the context of his age and position, he is in a good spot. Kmet has 1,399 yards in his career. Below are the only players to surpass that many yards before they turned 24 years old.

Rob Gronkowski, Jason Witten, Mike Ditka, Aaron Hernandez, Tony Gonzalez, Todd Heap, Johnny Mitchell, Charlie Young, Kellen Winslow, Mark Bavaro, Eric Ebron, Jeremy Shockey

Yes, he is closer to Mitchell, Young, Winslow, Barvaro, Ebron, and Shockey than the big names at the top. That is an exclusive list, and almost every player who performed better than him at this age went on have a long and successful career.

If these are the players that Cole Kmet is on track to become, it is pretty obvious why they are betting on him. When you compare Kmet to guys in their prime, it is unfair, but when you compare him to other tight ends his age, it is pretty clear that Kmet has more to show.