The Chicago Bears have made several additions through the first two days of the NFL draft, adding to an already talented roster. While every player that gets drafted won't make an impact from Day 1, some selections show how the team feels about a certain player.
In the third round, the Bears decided to draft Stanford tight end Sam Roush. With Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet already in the room, this draft picks puts Kmet on the hot seat once again. He still has two years left on his deal but the selection of Roush shows they are looking down the line and already have Kmet's replacement in the fold.
Bears Taking Sam Roush Puts Cole Kmet on Chopping Block
Last season, Loveland quickly emerged as a focal point in the passing attack and became TE1. Kmet was still utilized, playing 768 (70 percent) offensive snaps, but saw his receiving numbers take a hit. He finished with 30 catches (48 targets) for 347 yards, which were his lowest numbers since his rookie season in 2020.
Kmet was used more as a blocker, where he found plenty of success. On Pro Football Focus, he had 62.2 run blocking grade and a 70.2 pass-blocking grade. But with him on the books for $7.75 million in 2026 and $15.4 million in 2027, you can see the writing on the wall. Especially since Roush was an in line Y tight end during his time at Stanford.
In The Athletic's Dane Brugler's draft guide, he wrote, "Roush isn’t without his warts, but he offers a traditional Y tight end skill set — competitiveness to handle dirty work as a blocker and athleticism to be a functional underneath target. He has the makeup and toughness to quietly become an integral part of an NFL offense."
Although he needs to work on his hands as a pass catcher (13 drops), Roush can quickly get off the line and can do some damage after the catch. In 48 collegiate games with Stanford, he had 119 receptions, 1,201 receiving yards, and four touchdowns, including career-highs in catches (49) and receiving yards (545) last season.
His size is very similar to Kmet as well. Roush is 6'5", 266 pounds. Meanwhile, Kmet is 6'6" and 257 pounds. They both will hold a similar role in Chicago's offense and with Roush being on a cost-controlled contract over the next four years, you can see the Bears moving on from Kmet.
That doesn't mean that will happen for the 2026 season but there's a great chance that Kmet isn't around for the 2027 season. With Loveland being the TE1 for the future, Roush will step in the TE2 spot eventually and that means Kmet's time in the Windy City is ticking.
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