Much has been made about the Chicago Bears' recent decisions at the tight end position, bringing in Colston Loveland a year ago and following that up with this year's selection of Sam Roush. Still, it isn't time to give up on Cole Kmet just yet, with this offseason's moves opening the door for one last great season from the Chicago pass catcher. The Bears parted ways with DJ Moore, who is now a Buffalo Bill and facing the pressure of being Josh Allen's primary target.
Depth receivers Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay departed in free agency, leaving a clear production void to be filled. This is a combined 1,021 receiving yards of lost production, clearly opening the door for Kmet to once again take on a starring role. This isn't to say that his exit isn't upcoming, but that it has a chance to be on a high and perhaps at the end of his current contract instead of Chicago bailing early.
Drafting both Loveland and Roush makes it clear the franchise isn't paying Kmet, but this doesn't mean the veteran's production is doomed. The tight end had 347 receiving yards in the 2025 season, a clear regression from 2024 when the pass catcher had 474 receiving yards and four touchdowns on the season.
Bears' Offseason Decisions Sets Cole Kmet for Potential Return to Starring Role
This is still nowhere close to the force Kmet had been in Chicago's offense the previous three seasons, finishing with over 500 yards in all three years and offering a combined 13 touchdowns during this time. It is clear that Caleb Williams and Kmet haven't found this level of trust, and have a clear chance to change now that there are so few pass catching options. Kmet now has the path to return to this level of production and be a featured target.
Kmet's Chicago tenure has a chance to go out on a high instead of ending in frustration, as it appeared destined to after the selection of Loveland. The choice to minimize proven targets has opened the door back up for Williams and Kmet to get on the same page and unlock the potential of a player clearly underutilized in Ben Johnson's offense.
It will be interesting to watch early in the 2026 season if this proves to be the case or another surprise source steps up to fill the obvious void. No matter the answer, there is no denying the clear opportunity that lies ahead.
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