There is no doubt that tight end Zach Miller enjoyed a breakout season with the Chicago Bears this past season. There is also no doubt he would be a welcome addition to many teams this offseason. The problem is that, according to reports, Miller is looking to seriously cash in this offseason to the tune of $5 million per year on his next contract.

The 31-year-old impending free agent played in his first games since 2011 when he appeared in four games with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He signed with the Bears before the 2013 season, but had not appeared in a game with the team thanks to a wide variety of injuries. This past season he appeared in 15 games and caught 34 passes for 439 yards and five touchdowns, which included a breakout game against the St. Louis Rams in Week 10 when he caught five passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns.

Giving Miller a huge pay raise would be a mistake for the Bears. What Miller is looking for, $5 million per year, is a little rich for a tight end with his injury history. It isn’t like Miller had a huge track record when healthy either. He entered this season with 45 career receptions in his three healthy years with the Jaguars.

Miller should be re-signed. He did seem to have good chemistry with Jay Cutler and he was effective when he was on the field this season. The problem is $5 million is way too much for him considering his history. There would be few, if any, teams in the NFL that would pay him that much, so the Bears wouldn’t be taking a big risk by letting him test the free agent waters.

Of course, what Miller wants and what he gets are two different issues. He can ask to have an ownership stake in the team if he wanted to, but it doesn’t mean he is getting it. Gary Barnidge, who caught 79 balls for 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns for the Cleveland Browns this past season, just signed a three-year, $12.3 million contract. Barnidge had a much better year than Miller and he couldn’t get $5 million per. Miller can dream all he wants, but he isn’t worth the contract he is seeking.