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Cole Kmet's Insight Provides Certainty and Humor About His Bears Role

After an offseason when the veteran tight end's future seemed uncertain to some, he's comfortable now moving ahead into Year 2 except for one thing.
Gene Chamberlain|
Cole Kmet with his trademark baseball celebration in the end zone after his touchdown catch against the Rams, a play he hears about constantly.
Cole Kmet with his trademark baseball celebration in the end zone after his touchdown catch against the Rams, a play he hears about constantly. | David Banks-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Bears tight end Cole Kmet heard something from coaches right after the 2025 season ended that put him at ease immediately, even while his fans seemed a little uneasy.

Meanwhile, there are things Kmet hears from outside the building that have him growing a bit weary.

After the season ended, Kmet was told by GM Ryan Poles and coach Ben Johnson the team wanted him back. This meant something because his contract terms made it one of the more unloadable deals, and the Bears now have tight end Colston Loveland, although they do need more than one tight end.

"Yeah, I mean, look, I felt like I did a lot of the things they asked me to do coming into the year," Kmet said Monday at Halas Hall on the day players returned to start offseason conditioning. "I felt really good about that. Got to my exit meeting with them about right after the game against LA. If you were to ask me right after that, I didn’t think I was going anywhere.

"Kind of felt that throughout the offseason. Look, Ryan and Ben, I really take them at their word for what they say. They’re very honest guys. They expressed an interest in me being here, staying here and all that. But I also understand if an offer comes across their plate for them to make a move or them to make a change, they would definitely do that. No, I never really felt I would be playing anywhere else this year."

Expectations

So while fans speculated for weeks on end during the offseason about whether Kmet would be cut or traded for cap savings, the Chicago area native had almost complete confidence he would return.

The need is there for two tight ends, just not necessarily a second one of Kmet's ablity. In Detroit, the second tight end in Johnson's old offense was Brock Wright, who has never made more than 18 receptions in a season. Kmet has never had LESS than 28 receptions, but Loveland's arrival did mean Kmet's receiving was less critical.

"I felt Colston and I both made plays," Kmet said. "Obviously, Colston really came alive down the stretch. That was really cool to see as a third down and red zone threat. He’s going to have a chance to do a lot of special things this coming year.

"So, I just think it’s a continuation of what we did last year and leveling up again. That’s what we’re going to have to do if we’re going to have success on offense this year and have success as a team. I think the two tight ends are paramount, and I saw that. It might not always be in the passing game. There were a lot of things I had to do in pass pro and the run game that proved to be very valuable for the team. I saw that, and more importantly, Ben and Ryan really recognized that as well."

If all goes according to plan, the goals are the same as always.

""I know going into last year or even since I’ve been here, years before, people on the outside have different expectations for the team than we do in the building," Kmet said. "So our expectations in the building don’t ever change. It’s to go win a Super Bowl. That’s the expectation. That’s what our goal is.

"I know the talk of last year was: ‘Oh, it’d be great if the Bears could go make a playoff,’ and that’s a success. Yeah, there’s success in that but that’s not what our ultimate goal is. So our ultimate goal is still to go win a Super Bowl. It’s not an easy thing to do, but those are the expectations within the locker room and quite frankly those are the only expectations that we look at."

Fans keep reminding him

There's one other thing Kmet probably is getting a bit tired of hearing from fans. It's about the touchdown catch he made on the miracle Caleb Williams pass at the left side of the end zone in a 20-17 overtime loss to the Rams.

Everyone wants to bring up that play to him even now, as the 2026 preparations begin. He's got his own message for them about that play, the one when Williams retreated and retreated before firing it his way.

"I have to remind people we lost the freakin' game," Kmet said, laughing. "But yeah, that was a cool moment for sure, but hopefully next time we pull off the win there."

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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