Using the tight end as a weapon in the passing game was a staple of coach Ben Johnson’s offense when he was Lions offensive coordinator, but that has yet to show up in the Bears’ attack.
Veteran tight end Cole Kmet and rookie Colston Loveland have gotten a combined 22 targets through four games and Kmet, who was in the top 10 at his position statistically in 2023, has just seven catches for 116 yards and a touchdown.
As someone who has been with the Bears for six play callers in six seasons, he’s had no choice but to learn patience, and he’s once again holding out hope for things to click.
“It’ll naturally happen as the offense continues to grow and we become more on schedule and not being in second-and-longs,” Kmet said. “When you can get into second-and-four after a good run and do some play action, that’s where you can see some of the tight end stuff come to life.”
Kmet had just seven targets over the first three games, but thought he played very well overall. He wasn’t happy with his performance as a receiver or blocker against the Raiders, though he had his most productive game with three catches for 46 yards.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams targeted Kmet nine times in that game but a few were inaccurate or thrown into tight coverage, and Kmet dropped one open over the middle in the red zone.
With that drop still on his mind, Kmet said his self-scout during the bye week reminded him, “Making the plays when they come to you is No. 1.”
