Bears' forlorn star oddly becoming one of NFL's most disrespected players

Somehow, this Chicago Bears player is becoming one of the league's most disrespected players, and it has happened in a flash.

Sep 28, 2017; Green Bay, WI, USA; A Chicago Bears helmet on the field during warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bears have put together quite an impressive stable of weapons around quarterback Caleb Williams, drafting Luther Burden and Colston Loveland this past April to go with a core that already included D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet.

However, one member of that group is suddenly becoming one of the NFL's most disrespected players, even by his own team: Kmet.

The fact that the Bears pulled the trigger on selecting Loveland with the 10th overall pick was mind-boggling at the time. Tight end was clearly not Chicago's biggest need (and let's not even get into the fact that Tyler Warren was also on the board).

From that point moving forward, the writing appeared to be on the wall for Kmet, who is coming off of a very disappointing 2024 campaign and still has three years remaining on his contract.

Fans and pundits everywhere seem to be throwing in the towel on Kmet, who just two years ago was one of the league's brightest up and coming stars at the position.

Heck, one of the reasons why everyone was so excited about Williams' debut season under center was because of Kmet's presence and what it was supposed to do for the No. 1 overall pick. However, Kmet's targets actually dipped from 90 to 55 in 2024, and he ultimately posted his worst yardage total (474) since his rookie campaign.

How soon we forget how good the Notre Dame product was over the first several years of his career, particularly between 2022 and 2023 when he began to separate himself as a potentially elite weapon.

But now, it has reached a point where both sides would probably be better off with a trade. Kmet clearly is not being prioritized in Chicago anymore. If his targets were nearly cut in half last year, imagine this year with Loveland now in tow?

Remember: Kmet was drafted during a completely different regime. Ryan Poles was not the general manager, and Ben Johnson certainly wasn't the coach. Loveland seems to be their guy moving forward. Spare me the "two tight end sets" story. Yes, the Bears could do it in theory, but let's not sit here and pretend as if Kmet is likely to be targeted 90 times again.

Could Kmet re-establish himself as a key component in Chicago's aerial attack? Sure. Does it seem probable? No, and it's a shame.

Somehow, Kmet — who isn't exactly a household name outside of Illinois — has become one of the league's most snubbed players.

Dec 22, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet (85) reacts after making a touchdown catch against the Detroit Lions during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

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