When Colston Loveland was ruled out for the Chicago Bears' Week 4 matchup against the Raiders, it presented an excellent opportunity for Cole Kmet. The veteran tight end, who has been the center of trade speculation all offseason, would get a chance to prove his worth. He had to win back a franchise that seemed ready to move on after drafting his replacement with the tenth overall pick.
Instead, all Kmet did was prove the Bears right. Despite getting plenty of opportunity (9 targets), he was only able to haul in 3 catches for 46 yards. He failed to catch any of his four contested targets, while adding a drop and two penalties. The fact that this was his season-best in both catches and yards highlights the bleak nature of Kmet's sixth season in Chicago.
And now the team's bye week is here, and that's just the latest negative working against Kmet as he continues to fight for relevance.
Cole Kmet May Have to Take a Backseat to Colston Loveland Soon
To make matters worse for the 26-year-old, this increased offensive role may not last very long. The Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs reported that Loveland went through "at least a portion of [Tuesday's] practice] along with other injured vets TJ Edwards and Kyler Gordon. Considering that Loveland was already a limited participant in last Friday's practice before getting ruled out with a hip injury, he will almost certainly be available to play in Chicago's next game.
The Bears aren't playing again until Monday Night Football in Week 6. The current bye week will give head coach Ben Johnson plenty of time to consider the future of the tight end position and what to do with Kmet.
Before missing the second half of the Week 3 clash against the Cowboys, Loveland was in the midst of his most involved game of the season, getting three targets and catching one for a 31-yard play in the first half. He has been firmly behind Kmet in the pecking order, but with how little Kmet has done with his opportunities, it's safe to say that the rookie will get increasingly more opportunities going forward.
Even though Loveland eventually taking over as the surefire TE1 in Chicago is inevitable, what the Bears want to do with Kmet is an entirely different question. The NFL trade deadline is on November 4, and speculation will not subside until then. Moving Kmet would help open a larger role for Chicago's standout rookie and actually save the Bears some money going forward. Before he takes a back seat to Loveland and reduces his trade value, that is an avenue GM Ryan Poles could seriously consider.