A season ago, the phrase “Chicago Bears passing game” practically reached oxymoronic status alongside the likes of “jumbo shrimp” and “civil war.” The team attempted just 377 passes, which not only ranked last in the NFL, but it also was the lowest number of pass attempts since the Pittsburgh Steelers had 358 back in 2004 — and Pittsburgh’s per-game mark was slightly higher.
Clearly, that isn’t a winning approach, and the Bears have gone about overhauling their offense with trades for Chase Claypool and DJ Moore at receiver, the selection of Darnell Wright at tackle, and the signings of Nate Davis (left guard), and Robert Tonyan at tight end. The last of which will join Cole Kmet to give third-year quarterback Justin Fields a potentially potent combination at the position. Let’s see how Tonyan’s arrival affects the tight end outlook in Chicago for fantasy owners.
Cole Kmet
After catching 60 passes (on 93 targets) for 612 yards, albeit inexplicably with zero touchdowns, during his second season, Kmet entered 2022 as a popular breakout candidate. The thinking went that another year with Fields at the controls would be a boon for Kmet, who, along with Darnell Mooney, had been the only reliable options in 2021. It didn’t exactly pan out that way.
Kmet didn’t catch a pass until Week 3, and through seven games he had 12 receptions, 148 yards, and (again) no touchdowns. He broke his TD drought in a big way, hauling in five scores over the next three games, and finished the year leading the Bears in receptions (50), yards (544), and touchdowns (7). The TDs elevated Kmet to fringe TE1 status, but as a week-to-week contributor he was spotty.
Entering a contract year, Kmet’s future in the Windy City is uncertain. While he’s shown a rapport with Fields, at least as much as anyone has, the additions of Moore, a viable No. 1 receiver, and Claypool, who’ll have a full offseason to integrate into the offense, cloud his outlook.
Robert Tonyan
Seeking more options for two-tight end sets, the Bears brought Tonyan over following five seasons with division rival Green Bay. The 29-year-old tore his ACL in October 2021 but returned to play all 17 games last year, fashioning a 53-470-2 line. Despite limited proven options for the Packers, Aaron Rodgers targeted Tonyan judiciously, and outside of his 11-touchdown performance in 2020, the veteran has never done much for fantasy owners.
He’ll reunite with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, which should allow Tonyan to hit the ground running in terms of learning the offense, but his ceiling looks quite low.
Fantasy football outlook
It honestly doesn’t feel like a lot has changed for Kmet in terms of fantasy value. Granted, Tonyan might cut into his usage, but the expectation of more output from Chicago’s passing attack should counter it. Kmet is a borderline TE1. As for Tonyan, he’s not worth drafting.
