Ten Most Important Bears Players: Cole Kmet |
It's no secret that the Chicago Bears have invested a ton of resources into their offense as they aim to improve on that side of the ball. Adding the amount of offensive talent is one thing, but changing coaches is an entirely different thing as Shane Waldron takes over for Luke Getsy as the team's next offensive coordinator.
After spending the past few seasons with the Seahawks, Waldron is going to have his work cut out for him this season. He is tasked with not only getting this Bears offense on track but also turning them into the top-10 unit that everyone envisions. Caleb Williams's overall play and growth will play a part in that, but so will the other skill position players, who will provide him with all the help he needs. Fifth-year TE Cole Kmet (No. 4 ranked Bears player on our list) is one of those guys and, by all accounts, is one of the more overlooked TEs in the game. All the former Notre Dame TE has done since arriving in Chicago is produce, but it was his past two seasons that put him on the map, as many view him as one of the better TEs in the NFL. Kmet is coming off a season in which he emerged as one of Justin Fields' favorite targets, and he hopes that 2023 was just the tip of the iceberg for him. Across 17 games, Kmet put up 73 receptions, 719 receiving yards, and six touchdowns. Those are the types of numbers the Bears expected from him when they drafted him in the second round, but it took him three seasons to finally get caught up to the NFL game. Now that he has, Kmet is not only a significant weapon in this Bears offense, but he has quietly emerged as a boarder line Top-5 TE and has become as reliable as possible. When you look at the Bears offense last season, DJ Moore and Kmet may be the only ones who can say they had a good season. With Moore already locked up for the long haul, the Bears rewarded Kmet for his play with a brand new contract worth 50 million across four seasons. What made his extension significant was that Kmet was the first major extension involving one of the Bears' core players, so you can see how the organization views him and his impact on this team. Kmet not only lived up to his paycheck by putting up the numbers he did, but you could also make the case that he was the best and most consistent offensive player, not named Moore. Whenever the Bears needed to move the chains or come up with a big play, Kmet was often called upon, and more often than not, he delivered in a big way to keep the Bears' offense on the field a tad longer. While he has always been a solid run blocker since breaking into the league, his route running and catching skills over the past two seasons have changed his career as he has gotten better in both cases year after year. With Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, D'Andre Swift, and Williams now added to this offense, Kmet may not be called on as often as he has been, but he will still play a massive role in the team's overall success. When the Bears run the ball, Kmet gives them an extra offensive lineman on the field, as he knows how to block with the best of them. When the Bears decide to pass, Kmet could be in line for bigger numbers in some cases. Teams won't be able to double Moore this season, which could lead to Williams spreading the ball around a lot more. Can you imagine the production Kmet could put up if lined in single coverage with an LB covering him? That is something to keep an eye on all season, as Kmet could face a lot of single coverage this season against LBs. You also have to factor in the addition of Gerald Everett as the team's backup TE, as the Bears can now run double TE sets to keep the defense on their toes. Even if his production goes down in this new-look offense, don't let that fool you, as more weapons mean more production across the board. As long as he is healthy and on the field, Kmet is going to produce for this team, whether that be from a leadership or statistical standpoint. He has been with this team through the downs and is now going to be a part of them through the ups. Of all the players on the Bears' offense, Kmet could benefit the most from all these additional weapons, as he has the potential to become a matchup nightmare this season.
