If there is one player on the Chicago Bears who understands the horror of the last five years, it's tight end Cole Kmet.
After their trip to the playoffs in 2019, Kmet was selected in the second round by the Bears, and since then, they have not made the playoffs. The 8-8 record in 2020 is the closest Kmet has ever come to a winning record, and his only trip to the playoffs, with current head coach Ben Johnson being the third coach he has had since joining the franchise.
So far, the 2025 campaign certainly feels very different, as the team is off to a 6-3 start and has won six of its last seven games. Kmet has noticed a significant change in the team from the past.
“We’ve lost since I’ve been here … and a lot of these (games) we would’ve dropped. Now we’re finding ways to win.”
Bears appear to be having a turning point to their franchise
A lot has changed over the last two years to set the foundation for the team they currently have. Caleb Williams appears to be the franchise quarterback the team has hoped for, Rome Odunze looks like a future number one receiver, and rookie seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai could be the lead running back for the team soon.
Even on defense, things are getting better for the Bears. Montez Sweat is having quite the run off the edge, Austin Booker is improving as a defender, and the defense as a whole is creating turnovers at an insane rate.
The biggest difference in the team, though, is Ben Johnson's arrival as head coach. Johnson has changed the culture, positioning the team as a winner and setting it up for success late in games.
Read more: 3 winners (and 2 losers) from Bears' comeback win over Giants in Week 10
Chicago still has a lot of work to do in getting the team where it needs to be, but the foundation is set for a ton of success over the next few years.