It took them much longer than it should've, but the Chicago Bears are finally making the most of one of their promising weapons. For the second consecutive week, rookie tight end Colston Loveland was heavily involved in the passing game, and it paid off as the Bears won for the sixth time in their last seven games.
That's terrible news for veteran TE Cole Kmet, who was already on thin ice for his underwhelming performances this season. And now that he's seemingly fallen behind in the pecking order, it seems like only a miracle could keep him in the Windy City beyond this season.
Cole Kmet's Days in Chicago Are Numbered
Kmet, who left the win over the Cincinnati Bengals with a concussion, didn't carry an injury designation on Sunday against the New York Giants. However, he was only targeted twice, finishing the game with one reception for five yards. It was also the fourth straight outing that saw Kmet finish with a single reception.
Loveland, on the other hand, finished Sunday's win tied for the third-most targets (4) and receptions (4) and the second-most receiving yards (55) on the team. That was just one week after he broke out for 118 receiving yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning score.
The rookie No. 10 pick turned plenty of heads and drew praise from head coach Ben Johnson, who essentially claimed that he can put up those types of numbers on a weekly basis. Clearly, they're looking to get him more involved after he was a non-factor in the first half of the campaign.
As for Kmet, the veteran playmaker hasn't had more than 46 receiving yards in a game this season, which came all the way back in Week 4. He's averaging a pedestrian 18.4 yards per game, and he's only logged 11 receptions on 23 targets for 167 yards and one touchdown.
Kmet is signed through the 2027 season, though. The Bears would take just $3.2 million in dead cap if they were to trade or cut him after the season, per Spotrac, which would open up $8.4 million in space. Also, there aren't that many reliable pass-catching veteran tight ends, so perhaps a team will want to make a run at him in the offseason.
The writing was already on the wall for Kmet when the Bears used a top-10 selection to get a tight end in April. And after watching Loveland get progressively better and more involved in the passing game while Kmet remains a decoy, it's pretty clear that the Bears will prioritize developing their rookie.
It's not that Kmet can't play or that he's a liability; it's just that this team doesn't seem to need him right now. And as long as Loveland keeps thriving in the spotlight, it's hard to imagine that sentiment changing.