Cole Kmet had one game to prove to Bears his worth as TE1 (and failed miserably)

Sunday's Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders game was a big one for tight end Cole Kmet.

The Bears didn't have rookie first-round pick Colston Loveland in the game, so it was the Kmet show at tight end. This was his opportunity to silence everyone who wanted him to be traded before the season and have Loveland be the main guy.

Kmet didn't deliver the way Bears fans would have wanted.

During the game, Kmet had nine targets headed his way from Caleb Williams, by far a season-high for any tight end on the team. He caught just three of them, but gained 46 yards, including a 29-yard completion in the game. Kmet also had a rough time with penalties as he was called for two false starts in the Bears' 25-24 win over the Raiders.

Kmet did not separate himself from Loveland at all

Would Bears fans call Kmet's performance against the Raiders a bad game? Not necessarily. He was the second leading receiver on the team during the contest.

The problem is he's being paid to be a top 10 tight end. Chicago is paying him $50 million for four years to dominate and be on the same level as a former Ben Johnson tight end, Sam LaPorta. The top 10 tight ends rarely receive two penalties in a game, with their primary job being to stay in place until the ball moves or catch only 33% of their targets.

Kmet this season has not been particularly great, as he has caught seven passes for 116 yards and one touchdown. He's on pace for 30 receptions for 493 yards and four touchdowns. This would be his worst season since his rookie season in 2020.

He doesn't compare well to his counterparts at the same position. According to Pro Football Focus, Kmet's overall grade is 58.3, ranking 21st out of 33 qualifying tight ends in the NFL.

Now, Johnson has been open recently about the tight ends on the Bears not being as involved in the passing game as he would like them to be. With that being said, Kmet got his targets on Sunday and caught a third of them. He didn't capitalize on the opportunity.

All hope isn't lost on Kmet, but the reality is setting in that he's just not a number-one tight end anymore. The hope is that Loveland can develop into that guy, but if it doesn't during the season, after the 2025 campaign is over, a tough decision has to be made with Kmet if it doesn't improve.