The offseason has been a whirlwind for the Chicago Bears and their fans. Things started off hot when they named Ben Johnson the head coach and made some big additions along the trenches on both sides of the ball.
In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Bears made eight picks, with five of them coming on the offensive side. The first one caught some people by surprise. With the 10th overall pick, Chicago selected Michigan TE Colston Loveland. With Tyler Warren from Penn State still on the board, some fans were surprised by the move, but Loveland was still one of the best players in this class.
With the draft finally in the rearview mirror, Ben Johnson spoke about the class and subtly called out tight end Cole Kmet in the process.
He said, "I think all we did this weekend is we might've just turned up the notch a couple of dials for certain people in this building. That's a good thing."
Ben Johnson: "I think all we did this weekend is we might've just turned up the notch a couple of dials for certain people in this building. That's a good thing."
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) April 28, 2025
Cole Kmet Got Put On Notice After NFL Draft
In 2023, Kmet and the Bears agreed to a four-year, $50 million extension, which led to him thinking he was the future at the position. He's on the books at $11.6 million until 2027, but adding competition to the room is noticeable.
Johnson loves to run two tight end sets, so having these two guys will go a long way, but it shouldn't go under the radar. Loveland can line up anywhere on the field and win on all three levels.
He's very fluid as a route runner and owns strong hands. In his collegiate career, Loveland had 117 receptions for 1,466 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.
Having a playmaker like this will certainly have Kmet looking over his shoulder. As Johnson said, this move will "notch a couple of dials" for Kmet. If he doesn't elevate his play, he could be someone who's thrown on the trade block and moved elsewhere.
There are two ways to approach a situation like this. You either rise to the occasion and elevate your play, or you shrink and become a shell of yourself. We'll have to see which lane Kmet heads down in the 2025 season.