When thinking about the Chicago Bears offense going into 2023, there are clear indications of what’s coming. D.J. Moore will be the primary go-to wide receiver. His connection with Justin Fields is impossible to deny. The offensive line should be better with Cody Whitehair at center, Nate Davis at right guard, and Darnell Wright at right tackle. Even without David Montgomery, the running game might be deeper than last season. In all the discussions, tight ends haven’t been talked about much.
That might be because the position looks settled in the eyes of most. Cole Kmet had his best season yet in 2022, going for over 500 yards and seven touchdowns. He has the trust of Fields. That doesn’t figure to change, right? Courtney Cronin of ESPN isn’t so sure. She appeared on the Chicago Bears Podcast to discuss the team. One big takeaway she had was a sudden realization that there is much more to the Robert Tonyan signing at tight end than people think. He wasn’t brought in to back up Kmet. He was brought in to compete with him.
The Chicago Bears see one big advantage with Tonyan.
He’s better equipped to stretch the field. Remember, Fields is at his best when he attacks deep. Having a tight end that can stretch the seam would be a great fit. Kmet can catch the ball well, but his speed was always average. He ran a 4.7 at the scouting combine. By contrast, Tonyan was a wide receiver in college. While he wasn’t fast enough for that position, his 4.58 speed is excellent for a tight end. That is reflected in the 11.5 yards per catch he averaged during his first four seasons in Green Bay.
Luke Getsy has sung the praises of Kmet at every turn. He featured him heavily in the offense last season. It’s hard to imagine the Chicago Bears will phase him out for somebody older and more injury prone. That said, Tonyan does offer a dimension Kmet can’t. If Getsy is dead set on opening more windows down the middle, then it makes sense. Maybe the best thing is to find a way to get both of them involved. The two-tight-end offense has worked in the past. It can again.
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