The Chicago Bears have plenty of candidates for who their best player is this season. Allen Robinson gets the landslide vote on offense. Pat O’Donnell is certainly in the running for special teams. Khalil Mack is certainly a favorite on defense. However, another name might be nudging into the race for best overall. That is Nick Kwiatkoski. No this isn’t a joke either. The backup linebacker has truly done more with his limited number of snaps than many starters have this year.
Here’s a quick recap. This season he has played a total of 109 snaps on defense. In that span, he has collected 19 tackles, a forced fumble, two sacks, and an interception. People have said for quite some time that Kwiatkoski could probably start on a number of defenses around the league but due to varying circumstances just hasn’t quite gotten that opportunity. However, it would appear the light has switched on for him in 2019.
Yet that’s not even the extent of his excellence. While most people have stayed focused on his defensive exploits, they’ve missed the other key part of his responsibilities: special teams. So people may feel shocked when they learn that the linebacker is also tied for the team lead with six special teams tackles over the previous nine games. Talk about a guy who is truly doing it all right now.
Keeping Nick Kwiatkoski may prove too hard for Bears
There is no question the Bears should have an interest in keeping Kwiatkoski. He will be a free agent in 2020 and there’s no longer any question that the guy has tons of underrated value. He’s a core special teamer and arguably one of the best backup inside linebackers in the NFL. Unfortunately, that is where the problem lay. Kwiatkoski has stated that he wants to play and the idea of returning as a backup probably won’t appeal to him. He may wish to join another roster to compete for a starting job.
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It would be hard to blame him.
This puts the Bears in a pickle though. Danny Trevathan will also be a free agent next year. Keeping him will prove difficult due to cap issues while making Kwiatkoski as a starter can be dangerous. For all his assets that include instinct, toughness, and tackling prowess, he has a fatal flaw. He’s slow. Too often opposing teams have found success attack him in the middle of the field with their tight ends. He just doesn’t have the pure speed to keep up.
Maybe he changes some minds over these final seven games what with Trevathan likely done with an elbow injury.
