The Chicago Bears lost one of their unsung heroes in the win over the New England Patriots. Unfortunately, veteran tight end Cole Kmet will miss the remainder of the season with a major knee injury.
While he hasn't been the most explosive or productive pass catcher in recent years, the Bears' heavy tight end usage will miss him. Also, he's a willing blocker and a crucial part of what Ben Johnson wants to run on offense.
That's why the Bears' boss might have to get creative and use Ozzy Trapilo in a different role. When asked about the possibilities, Coach Johnson teased the idea of using the Bears' left tackle as an additional lineman in some sets.
The Bears might use Ozzy Trapilo as a sixth offensive lineman
"I think one solution could be, if Ozzy (Trapilo) continues to trend up, then maybe we could do more jumbo, too,” Johnson told the media. “It’s not something we've really had to lean into, but there’s a lot of solutions out there to make sure we can still run the ball, pass protect.”
Of course, this can only work for so long. Trapilo has played 36 snaps this season, 35 of which came at left tackle. He did play an additional snap as an in-line blocker, so it's not like this would be something new for him.
That said, he should reclaim his starting left tackle spot at some point soon, and with Braxton Jones also on Injured Reserve, the Bears might use Theo Benedet in those jumbo sets while Trapilo holds his own as the blindside protector.
Rookie tight end Sam Roush will be thrown into the fire more often now. Stephen Carlson and Qadir Ismail are on the practice squad, and undrafted rookie Hayden Large has yet to play and has been on Injured Reserve since the start of the season.
Roush has been a bit of a mixed bag and has made some fundamental route-running mistakes, but he's improving as a blocker. Colston Loveland is trending up again with Caleb Williams back in the fold, so the Bears should be just fine in Kmet's absence, at least in that regard.
That said, their elite running game might take a step back without Kmet. No team in the league is more fond of getting multiple tight ends on the field early and often, and the Bears may have to find someone else if they struggle early on.
Kmet has survived multiple trade deadlines because of his valuable blocking for this team. Unfortunately, injuries are just a part of the game, and everyone's banged up right now, so there's no room for excuses.
As for Trapilo, hopefully, it won't be much longer before we see him slide right back to his usual starting left tackle spot.
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