You know how the saying goes: A picture in a tweet is worth 1,000 words (and 280 characters).
Well, here’s one from free agent linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski:
— Nick Kwiatkoski (@nkwiatkoski27) March 16, 2020
I still maintain this stadium looked like an incomplete Death Star when I saw it on my last Vegas trip.
Anyway, here is a tweet with a few more words confirming Kwiatkoski’s future home:
The #Raiders have signed former #Bears LB Nick Kwiatkoski, source said… as tweeted.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 16, 2020
Nick Kwiatkoski is signing with the Raiders. The soon-to-be-ex-Bears inside linebacker was going to be a popular target on the free agent market for teams in search of a player who can bolster the middle of the defense. And after the Bears re-signed Danny Trevathan, it was only a matter of time until the race for Kwiatkoski’s begun. In the end, the race concluded with Kwiatkoski securing the bag in Vegas.
Kwiatkoski will play in his age 27 season in 2020 and is coming off a solid year with the Bears as he earned a 72.6 grade from PFF that ranked him 15th among 89 qualifying linebackers. That’s pretty good. A jack-of-many-trades, Kwiatkoski has handled his role as a key reserve, ace special teams member, and spot starter in a pinch with ease. Now, the time has come for him to be a full-time starter. Quite the journey for a 2016 fourth-round pick from West Virginia. Depending on the deal Kwiatkoski signs and what the Bears do in free agency, the Bears could position themselves to land a compensatory draft pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Good for Kwiatkoski and good for the Bears. It’s always good to see home-grown talent play well for your favorite team, then earn a massive paycheck with their second contract when they hit free agency. It will soon be up to the Bears to properly replace Kwiatkoski, but that’s a conversation for a different day.