Cole Kmet is in a unique position with the Chicago Bears. He is their starting tight end and representative to the NFL Players Association. So while he is duty-bound to do what the coaches say, he is also responsible for ensuring his teammates are protected. So he was at the center of the minor scandal that came out when the Bears were slapped with a violation by the NFL, losing an OTA practice this past week for excessive physicality during what were supposed to be non-contact drills.
So it was interesting to hear Kmet’s thoughts on what happened. On the face of it, he wasn’t upset about losing the practice itself. It enabled him to get 18 holes of golf in. Does he think the coaches were in the wrong, pushing players too hard? That is not the case. He echoed the same words as teammate Cody Whitehair. With so many young guys on the roster now, players are out to prove themselves and that can sometimes lead to intensity going a bit too far. It is about learning to toe that line when the pads aren’t on.
Kmet understands what Matt Eberflus is trying to accomplish.
He wants more intensity in practice. He wants more hustle. His team is going to win games through speed, effort, and violence. It makes sense he’d want to instill that mentality into his players from the jump. Unfortunately, some of the younger guys tried to push the limits too much. Eberflus didn’t seem perturbed by the violation. He plans to make sure everybody knows the rules better for next time. One can guess he secretly loved the extra edge guys had.
His tight end didn’t seem to mind it, either. Kmet is a physical guy by nature, anyway. It’s clear enough that players can’t wait for the pads to go on next month.
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Cole Kmet won’t be holding back when the time comes.
The third-year tight end has a lot of proving to do himself. Though he had a decent year in 2021 with 612 yards, he also failed to score a single touchdown. There were problems with dropped passes too. Now with the regime that drafted him gone, he can’t afford to have another down season this year. GM Ryan Poles came from Kansas City, where he helped draft and cultivate Travis Kelce. He has certain standards in mind for that position.
To that end, Cole Kmet stated he had two primary goals this off-season. One was to make sure every single catch he made would be with his hands. No letting the ball into his body. Then he was focused on delivering his blocks with more violence. It is clear coaches want him to use that impressive size and strength to full advantage.
Hopes are high for him.
Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy expressed great optimism for what Kmet can do. His unique versatility can be a huge asset in this new system. One can only hope he can craft better ways to get him open than Matt Nagy did.
