Bear Digest

Cole Kmet's streak as Bears tight end iron man reaches end at 90

Back injury means Colston Loveland and Durham Smythe will carry the position against the Ravens.
Gene Chamberlain|
Cole Kmet hauls in a pass from Caleb Williams and heads upfield against the Raiders.
Cole Kmet hauls in a pass from Caleb Williams and heads upfield against the Raiders. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

In this story:

Chicago Bears

It's the kind of thing to make a Bears fan really appreciate some of the legendary figures of the team's past all the more.

On Friday, they ruled out tight end Cole Kmet for the game Sunday with the Ravens because of a back injury. Kmet and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (shoulder) are missing the game because of injuries suffered in Sunday's win over New Orleans.

Kmet's absence means more playing time for rookie Coslton Loveland and veteran backup Durham Smythe. His ability to play through pain or avoid injury until now is rather remarkable for a player at his position.

Former Bears GM Jerry Angelo used to say tight ends and safeties were the  players most at risk in the NFL, tight ends because they're big men trying to move and do unnatural things in space and also because they're big and have to play in the line blocking against even bigger players.

Coach Ben Johnson on Friday said Kmet's injury and also Stevenson's are  not severe enough to land them on IR, or basically a four-week injury.

With 90 games played consecutively, Kmet has played more consecutive games than any Bears tight end. Mike Ditka played in 84 straight games. Ditka was their first tight end since the position didn't really officially exist until he played there in 1961.

Bob Parsons played more but was only a tight end in four seasons and a punter from 1974-83.

Those numbers pale in comparison to Walter Payton's 184 starts or the 191 games  played by the late, great Steve "Mongo" McMichael.

Long snapper Patrick Mannelly actually has the record for most games played with 245, but long snapping can't be confused with the difficulty of playing running back or defensive tackle without missing games.

At least the Bears will have wide receiver DJ Moore  available for the game after he was removed from the injury report, again this week after a groin/hip injury. He seems able to shrug off big hits and injuries.

"I love the way he competes. I love the way he battles through those  things. It's appreciated by all of us, his effort to be out there and fighting with his guys.”

Moore has not missed a start in 40 Bears games and his streak of consecutive games played is at 77 dating back to his time in Carolina.

More Chicago Bears News

X: BearsOnSI

Published
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.