Chicago Bears first-year breakout star Colston Loveland got fans excited about the future at tight end, but fans can't forget about the work that his other tight end, Cole Kmet, has done over the year.
Despite being statistically one of the worst seasons of Kmet's career, he made a massive impact on the team with his game-tying touchdown late in the NFC Divisional Round game against the Los Angeles Rams to force overtime. Bears tight end coach Jim Dray shared his thoughts on Kmet and made sure to give him his respect.
"He has had a lot of success in this league across the board of what it means to be a tight end," Dray said via Bears reporter Josh Buckhalter. "That's run blocking, that's pass production, and that's play pass protection. But he knows that he has to be good at all of those things consistently to continue to play. The way he's been able to do that through the course of his career, like you said, through staff changes and room changes, I don't think he gets enough credit that he deserves."
Cole Kmet is still a great tight end in the NFL
Last season, Kmet caught 30 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns. One good aspect of his year was that he had a career-high in average yards per reception at 11.6
The reality is that Kmet isn't going to put up the 600-700 yards per season he was at the beginning of his career. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams wants to spread the ball around, plus Loveland has cemented himself as the top pass catcher on the team.
What is helping with Kmet's career to keep rolling in Chicago is his ability to do it all so well. He can catch the ball and block with great skills, which is hard to find in a tight end these days.
Read more: Darnell Wright received the glowing review Bears fans had to hear
Kmet was a popular name to be cut or traded in the offseason and before the season begins, but the Bears know they still have a strong weapon in him, so why not keep him and give that already deep tight end room in place?
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