These days most people love to criticize the Chicago Bears for not knowing what a good tight end looks like. Of course, if those people glanced at the history of this organization, they wouldn’t be laughing. The Bears practically invented the position when George Halas transformed Mike Ditka into the first pure tight end in NFL history. A guy who would eventually land in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
He set the standard back in the 1960s and has remained the standard ever since. No other tight end has come close to his impact and productivity almost 60 years later. There were some strong challengers like Greg Olsen and Martellus Bennett. Yet neither of them were on the roster long enough to make their stamp. Thus the search has continued.
According to longtime Bears insider Dan Pompei of The Athletic, belief is they may have finally found the right guy in Cole Kmet.
“Kmet is different from other Bears tight ends. Greg Olsen wasn’t like him. Neither were Emery Moorehead, Desmond Clark, or Robocop Thornton. Also dissimilar were Robin Earl, Tim Wrightman and Zach Miller. Ryan Wetnight, Keith Jennings and Greg Latta had different styles, too.
Kmet isn’t about getting down to avoid a hit, or racing for the sideline. In fact, he will go hunting for would-be tacklers. In the past 55 years, the Bears tight end with the most similar playing style was Martellus Bennett. The other tight end who Kmet plays like was their first, Mike Ditka.”
Kmet has the toughness and attitude of a Mike Ditka
Pompei believes the Bears got something they’ve been missing for a long time now. He called it a “culture-changer.” A locker room presence like what the team had with Brian Urlacher and Olin Kreutz. Not just fantastic talents on the field, but their forceful and demanding leadership off it. Kmet became that type of guy at Notre Dame. He displayed unrelenting drive and toughness along with a competitive streak that fed into his teammates.
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His first game back last year from an injury he gashed powerhouse Georgia for 108 yards and a score.
Predictions are Kmet will be a team captain by the start of 2021. That is how much of a presence he carries. The fact he’s a lifelong Bears fan will only fuel him to desire success that much more. If what Pompei says is true, then the team may have found that toughness they were missing on offense. It would be so fitting if Kmet is the second-coming of Ditka since that man had a hand in the last two championships this franchise has won.
When football finally returns, it will be interesting to see what experts think of the Chicago Bears’ chances of competing for a title. That said, you can check the books here.
