The Chicago Bears are riding pretty high after beating the New England Patriots to open the NFL schedule for Week 7. But one big negative did come out of the game, as tight end Cole Kmet suffered a non-contact knee injury that head coach Ben Johnson plainly confirmed didn't look good, pending firmer updates on Friday.
When he talked to the media on Friday, Johnson talked like Kmet's season is over. Later in the day, the team placed him on IR.
Kmet's absence now vaults rookie tight end Sam Roush into a bigger role, and it's not insignificant. According to Sumer Sports, through Week 6, the Bears have used "12" personnel at the third-highest rate in the league and "13" personnel at the fourth-highest rate (17.6 percent).
In his words about Kmet, Johnson cited the practice squad possibly yielding some options to step in and cover for Kmet's absence. Stephen Carlson and Qadir Ismail are the tight ends currently on the practice squad. Undrafted rookie Hayden Large made the initial 53-man roster in late August, but he remains on IR with what was reported to be an injury to his core.
Via Eli Ong of WGN, Johnson eventually talked further about Roush, Carlson, Ismail and Large on Friday.
“I'll start with Sam. We've been very pleased with the improvement that he's made over these first seven weeks. There's a high likelihood that his rep count is going to go up as a result of what's going on here. We'll be able to see the player that we drafted and had high hopes when we took him. Very smart player. He had some rookie hiccups early in the season, like everybody does, and yet he learns. He doesn't make the same mistake twice. I'm confident in what he's going to be able to do for us here in the back half of the season. Hayden Large would certainly be an option. He's still on IR for us, so we'll see where he's at health wise, but I feel strongly in Steve Carlson and Q (Ismail) on the practice squad as well.”
There's no real way to replace all that Kmet is able to do with one person. The Bears could very well be somewhere in the market for a tight end via trade or free agency, and quickly, with some extra time before they play in Week 8. It would not be a big name, likely more a TE3-blocker type who'd fill the role Roush is vacating. When the Bears have had three tight ends on the field, Roush has seen some snaps as a fullback.
With that segment of the position population in mind, here are a few tight ends the Bears could consider trading for.
3 tight ends the Bears could trade for after Cole Kmet's season-ending injury
3. Brock Wright, Detroit Lions
Wright of course has history with Johnson from four seasons in Detroit (2021-2024), so the Bears' head coach would know exactly what he's getting.
Wright is not especially good at any one thing, with little production as a pass catcher when he's had a clear runway and a less-than-impressive performance as a blocker. Yet, the Lions clearly value him and haven't been able to find anyone who can clearly supplant him as their TE2 behind Sam LaPorta.
That said, the Lions may be ready to give Tyler Conklin and Jackson Meeks more opportunity behind and alongside LaPorta. Driven largely by Johnson, the Bears could make a call here.
2. Mo Alie-Cox, Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are pushing toward sell-mode after firing long-time general manager Chris Ballard. Alie-Cox has been on the team so long he played with Andrew Luck, and he has been effective as a blocker and pass catcher when he has seen the field.
The Colts find themselves a little thin at tight end right now, as Tyler Warren is set to miss a second straight game due to a groin injury. So they may not be willing to deal Alie-Cox just yet, but in the final year of his contract, he is a prime asset to send to a team that needs to fortify its depth at tight end.
1. Elijah Higgins, Arizona Cardinals
If not for Trey McBride, the Cardinals might give Higgins a much bigger role. So he gets to a be a small sample size/minimal opportunity standout, entering Week 7 as Pro Football Focus' No. 1-graded tight end this season.
As it relates to what would appeal greatly to the Bears, Higgins has some alignment versatility (backfield, slot, out wide) and plenty of athleticism (listed as a wide receiver prospect entering the 2023 draft). Over 99 credited run-blocking snaps this season, and he has the ninth-best PFF grade (71.5). Kmet had the10th-best run blocking grade among qualifying tight ends entering Week 7.
Read more: Kalif Raymond has taken his expected place in the Bears' target tree lately
The Cardinals should be in a strong level of sell-mode as the trade deadline creeps closer. The Bears should call about Higgins.
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