The Chicago Bears' exciting season came to an end with a 20-17 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round. They will face some tough decisions in the coming months, which will include coaches and players leaving town for good.
Tight end Cole Kmet has been a major talking point this season, as fans were clamoring for him to get cut this offseason. The emergence of Colston Loveland played a role in that, but what Kmet did against the Rams may have changed his outlook in Chicago.
Bears May Have to Change Cole Kmet Stance After Rams Outing
If the Bears released Kmet, they would save $8.4 million, and that could be helpful, as Chicago enters the offseason with just $5 million in space. Yet, Loveland left the contest with a concussion, forcing Kmet into action.
In the loss, he finished with three catches for 31 yards and a touchdown. He was on the receiving end of a magical play from Caleb Williams with the game on the line. On 4th down and four with 26 seconds left in the game, Williams dropped at least 25-30 yards in the backfield to avoid pass rushers before finding Kmet in the left corner of the end zone. That score helped tie the game and push it into overtime. Next Gen Stats revealed the pass traveled 51.2 yards in the air and had a 17.8 percent completion probability.
That touchdown is something that fans won't forget for a long time, and it showcased that Kmet can step up in big moments when needed. Although Loveland has taken over as TE1, having Kmet as your TE2 is an underrated weapon that Chicago must consider.
Loveland has now suffered two concussions in his playing career, in addition to dealing with an AC joint injury that held him out in training camp. Injuries are going to happen, but the fact that Loveland has been hurt on multiple occasions as a rookie shows the importance of having a quality backup. And that's exactly what Kmet can provide.
This season, he finished with 30 catches for 347 receiving yards and two touchdowns. While those numbers don't pop out, he suited up in 16 games. During his Chicago tenure, Kmet has only missed two games, and that's extremely valuable.
The Notre Dame product can also hold his own as a blocker. According to Pro Football Focus, Kmet has a 62.2 run-blocking grade and 71.7 pass-blocking grade this campaign. There are multiple things that Kmet does well, and having him around for the 2026 season looks even more valuable given how the season ended for him and Loveland.