Cole Kmet Has Two-Word Goal for the 2026 Bears in Letter to Fans

It's hard to find a better story of success within the Chicago Bears than Cole Kmet. After growing up as a die-hard Chicago Bears fan, Kmet was selected by the Bears in Round 2 of the 2020 NFL draft, then signed a four-year, $50 million contract extension in 2023. Now, just days before the start of the 2026 season, the seventh-year tight end has penned an open letter to the Chicago Bears fanbase with his two-word goal for the team: Super Bowl.

Published by The Players Tribune, Kmet tells the story of his journey from fan to player, from being gifted a Brian Urlacher No. 54 jersey for Christmas early in the 2000's to receiving his own official Chicago Bears No. 85 jersey with "KMET" stitched across the back. But Kmet's letter eventually steers away from memory lane and becomes something like a mission statement.

Cole Kmet promises 'something special' for the fans in 2026

NFL players often talk about realistically competing for a Super Bowl, but Kmet has two excellent reasons for writing this kind of letter to the fans, and he doesn't mince words, either. "I honestly don’t think there’s a limit to how good [Caleb Williams] can be," Kmet writes. "He has the best arm I’ve ever seen. And now with Ben [Johnson] here running the show? I’m mainly just excited I get to be around for it."

That's ultimately what the Bears' hopes for a championship season in 2026 boils down to. This team will go as far as Johnson and Williams can take it, and if they both live up to the hype, then no goal is out of reach. Johnson has said that he wants to break the 2013 Broncos' scoring record of 606 points, and I believe they can if the offense fires on all cylinders. Williams doubled-down on his goal of winning multiple Super Bowls this offseason.

The supporting cast around Williams also earns a shoutout from Kmet. "The other thing that has me thinking big things lie ahead is the array of young talent we now have around Caleb [Williams]," Kmet writes. "Buckle up, Chicago. Because winning the Super Bowl is the goal this season, plain and simple. No hedging. And I feel like I’ve been around this place long enough to say with some credibility that we have a team that could realistically do it."

Do the Bears have a legitimate path to the Super Bowl?

As aforementioned, this is the time of year when every NFL team (well, almost every NFL team) can convince itself that the Super Bowl is within reach. It forces one to wonder whether Kmet's letter is little more than your typical chest-beating before the season starts and there's proof on the field of how good a team really is.

I don't think it is, and here's why. Kmet has never been the kind of player to put out bulletin board material like this. He's always kept his head down, put the work in, and contributed as much as he could to the team's success. If he believes in this team enough to put out a letter that comes within a hair's width of promising a Super Bowl parade for the fans, then I believe his confidence is well-founded.

This is similar to how I felt when Johnson publicly stated his goal of becoming the highest-scoring offense in NFL history. Johnson's a smart guy, he knows that other teams and other fans will use his words as weapons against him the very first time his offense puts up a stinker this year. But he said it anyway, and that leads me to believe that the huge improvement he saw from the Bears' offense this preseason is real.

Of course, it's no easy task to win a Super Bowl; Kmet says as much in his letter. Even when everything goes according to plan, a spunky, upstart team from the other conference can reach the Super Bowl and spoil your season. Just ask the 2007 Patriots.

That said, I don't think Kmet is out of line. Remember, this Bears team was one completed pass and a chip-shot field goal away from downing the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional round last year. Would they have defeated the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship game? We'll never know, but the way that the Bears were playing in January, you could not have counted them out.

Now, with Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson in Year 2 together and a strong supporting cast around the quarterback, the sky's the limit, and that includes a Super Bowl title. Additionally, following the Rams' blowout loss to the 49ers on Thursday, the NFC suddenly looks wide open. The Rams are still a juggernaut contender, make no mistake about that, but suddenly they look very beatable.

We'll get our first hint of an answer to whether the Bears are pretenders or contenders on Sunday. Until then, Kmet, the team, and the fans are well within their rights to dream of seeing a second Lombardi Trophy at Halas Hall in February.

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