Chicago Bears Roster: Players under the most pressure heading into 2023
By Evan Bruner
Chicago Bears Under Pressure In 2023: Cole Kmet, TE
Though only 24 years old, Cole Kmet is approaching the end of his rookie deal, and Bears fans seem to have mixed feelings about the Notre Dame product. He’s been a solid addition and has put up respectable production, but he also hasn’t been anything out of the ordinary.
In Kmet’s defense, he hasn’t exactly been set up for success. He started his career splitting reps with an ancient Jimmy Graham in 2020, dealt with Andy Dalton and rookie Justin Fields in Matt Nagy’s dreadful scheme in 2021, and played in a run-heavy offense in 2022.
Long story short, even if Kmet were capable of making a bigger impact, his environment has made that next to impossible. 2023 looks to be the best situation of Kmet’s career. Fields is entering his third season and play caller Luke Getsy is in year two. In addition, the team added wide receiver talent that should lead to a more effective passing game.
All in all, this season could potentially be Kmet’s first in a “normal” NFL offense, and a more traditional style could benefit the tight end. He isn’t in any danger of being out of the league or anything like that, but it’s hard to say whether he has done enough to be a part of the Bears’ future plans. His performance in 2023 will likely play a large role in that.