Amid a tense week at Halas Hall, there’s one thing about which the Bears can breathe easy: Running back David Montgomery and tight end Cole Kmet are fine.
Both missed practice again Thursday, but coach Matt Eberflus was confident that neither player’s injury was significant.
He said of Montgomery, “He’s going to be fine; he’s going to be back pretty fast,” and then when asked about Kmet, he said, “Same — We expect him to be fine.”
Neither is expected to play in the preseason opener against the Chiefs on Saturday, per Eberflus, but that doesn’t matter much. Both will have plenty of time to recover and re-acclimate before the season opener Sept. 11 against the 49ers.
Both players are important to the Bears for the upcoming season and possibly their future. With few proven playmakers in place around quarterback Justin Fields, the team needs Montgomery and Kmet on the field.
Montgomery led the team with 1,150 yards from scrimmage (849 as a rusher) and seven touchdowns last season, while Kmet was second in receptions (60) and yards (612) to wide receiver Darnell Mooney.
General manager Ryan Poles also needs to know if Montgomery and Kmet are the long-term answers at their positions. Montgomery is in the final year of his rookie contract, and Kmet is signed through 2023. With a windfall of salary-cap space and draft picks coming next year, Poles will spend this season assessing whether he can cross running back and tight end off his shopping list.
