New head coaches and coaching staffs naturally want to put an immediate imprint on a team, and how the Chicago Bears' offseason agenda came to fruition confirmed that unequivocally. New head coach Ben Johnson wants to try to bring as much of what worked when he was the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator to the Windy City as possible, while shaping things to the talent that he is inheriting.
When the Bears used the 10th overall pick in April's draft on Michigan tight end Colston Loveland, the immediate implications for incumbent No. 1 tight end Cole Kmet were obviously not good.
Speaking to reporters at mandatory minicamp, Kmet admitted he was initially "taken aback" by the addition of Loveland. But he revealed how Johnson called him to reassure him he was part of the Bears' plans.
"From there, you’re all on board on it and kind of understand their vision,” Kmet said, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “You understand that there’s going to be areas where we complement each other, and obviously, just like [in] any position room, there’s going to be areas [where] we compete for things. That’s football, and that’s how it should be. You’re just understanding their vision and their expectations for you as a player. It’s hard to come into work every day when you don’t know your set expectations. I think having those conversations kind of cleared the air a little bit.”
"The goal with it is to become the best (tight end) tandem in the league and see where we can take it from there,” Kmet said.
Kmet has three years left on the four-year, $50 million contract extension he signed before the 2023 season. A closer looks shows how the Bears can move on pretty easily in 2026, so this season is a big one for him to lock down his future in Chicago.
After months of speculation, the Pittsburgh Steelers have officially sold themselves to the devil that is Aaron Rodgers. That also means bowing to his wants and doing everything possible to foster his success, and they had reportedly already been pursuing possible additions around their new quarterback.
So who the Steelers could add around Rodgers is a natural tentacle to take the conversation toward. Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports offered a list of five pass catchers the Steelers could look to add now, and Kmet is the lone tight end on it.
"The Bears all but proclaimed a new face of their tight end position by spending a first-round pick on Colston Loveland this year, and while Kmet still has the benefit of legitimate NFL experience, it's very possible new coach Ben Johnson will lean all the way into Loveland out of the gate. In that case, perhaps the Steelers would be interested in pairing Kmet with Pat Freiermuth, especially if the price is lower than, say, acquiring Kyle Pitts from the Atlanta Falcons. Kmet logged at least 50 catches in three straight seasons from 2021-2023."
Idea Cole Kmet will inevitably be traded seems to be fading quickly
The general sentiment is to be expected, but at minicamp Johnson all but pulled Kmet off his convenient place on the trade block.
"You could tell instantly when he was around the other offensive players, the rest of the team, there’s an instant respect level,” Johnson said. “He’s done things the right way for a long time. And so it’s been great — not just him learning the offense but helping others in the process, as well.”
Johnson has also fostered the idea the Bears will use plenty of two tight end sets this season, leaving room for Kmet to contribute. Last year, according to Sumer Sports, the Lions used two tight ends on 32.2 percent of their offensive plays.
Kmet will likely linger to some extent as a trade candidate all the way to the Nov. 5 deadline. But he's probably not going anywhere just yet, even if the Steelers (or anyone) else comes calling in search of a supplemental weapon around Rodgers.