The Chicago Bears’ 2022 season was anything but ideal. The team only managed to win three games, the defense struggled mightily after All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith was traded early in the season, and quarterback Justin Fields had to exert a Herculean amount of effort just to move the ball downfield and keep his team from getting blown out.
Fields had few lifelines that he could rely on from the ever-oppressive island that was the pocket, but he did come to trust a few players on offense who could save a play from disaster. Those players were running back David Montgomery, receiver Darnell Mooney, and tight end Cole Kmet.
Two of those players have already been rewarded for their efforts last season: Montgomery scored a big payday with Detroit and Mooney earned a new best friend through a trade, D.J. Moore, who will help lighten his workload. Kmet, however, had not received much credit for being the safety blanket that Fields has relied on for multiple years; at least, not until now.
Kmet received some praise in a new ESPN article that ranked the NFL’s top 10 tight ends. The Bears tight end was given some generous praise from an anonymous NFC executive, who acknowledged Kmet’s well-refined skillset:
Kmet led the Bears in receiving yards (544), touchdowns (7) and receptions (50). “Big as hell, prototype Y body,” an NFC executive said. “Might be most competitive player on that team. High-end blocking ability but can also get adequate separation as a receiver with an excellent catch radius. Hard to bring down.”
While Kmet didn’t impress the board of executives, coaches, and scouts enough to land in the top 10 — he was listed as an honorable mention — to have a Chicago Bear represented in the article is an honor all in itself. The Bears are primed to have a breakout year, and Kmet may play a prominent role in the team’s success.
