Many Chicago Bears fans thought that after the team walked off the field of Soldier Field, they had seen the last of tight end Cole Kmet.
After a down season and amid the financial restrictions the Bears were facing, Kmet was an early candidate to be cut or traded during the offseason. Kmet stood in front of the media at the Bears' offseason program, still with the team and confident nothing would change.
"I thought I did a lot of the things they asked me to do (last year)," Kmet said via CHGO. "If you asked me after my exit meeting, I would have told you I didn't feel like I was going anywhere."
Cole Kmet is still a Chicago Bear entering the 2026 NFL Draft
Last season was a disappointment for Kmet statistically, as he caught 30 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns. His receptions and yards were the lowest since his rookie season in 2020, and his touchdowns were the lowest since 2021.
A major part of the problem was the emergence of rookie tight end Colston Loveland, as he ended up leading the Bears in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. There were also some struggles at the beginning of the season, with head coach Ben Johnson getting the tight ends involved in the passing game through his play-calling.
Bears fans might be surprised by Kmet's comments, as many thought he was as good as gone going into the offseason. He even talked about it himself, that he understood the business side of things, and that it was a possibility.
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With key pass-catching targets like DJ Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus no longer on the team, Kmet might actually see more targets coming his way, and the tight ends being more involved in the offense. After all that's happened in the offseason, keeping him ended up being a good choice at the moment, but anything can change on a dime in the NFL.
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