Cole Kmet admitted he wasn’t happy when the Chicago Bears drafted Colston Loveland. He knew what it meant. There was a good chance the 10th overall pick would eat into his opportunities to catch footballs. However, head coach Ben Johnson felt it would make the entire offense better. Ever the pro, Kmet bought into the plan. As the season went on, what many expected happened. Loveland asserted him as the primary receiving tight end in the passing game, and with good reason. His explosiveness is causing serious problems for opponents.
It may have also done something else. Something other teams are learning is a very bad thing. It has allowed Kmet to focus more on blocking, and he’s morphing into a legitimate force. The New York Giants found that out on Sunday. Kmet was responsible for not one but two devastating blocks that led directly to Bears touchdowns. The first was from the fullback spot, blowing a hole open for Kyle Monangai to reach the end zone. The second was on the defining play of the game when he picked off a defensive back, allowing Caleb Williams to scramble for the go-ahead score.
Cole Kmet continues to show he is a professional.
Many players would’ve taken the demotion hard. They would’ve lost the will to work hard and waited out their chance to find another team. Cole Kmet didn’t do that. He took the opportunity to redefine his role in the offense. If Loveland was going to get the primary looks as a receiver, then he would become indispensable as a blocker. The offensive line gets plenty of credit for the renewed success in the running game. Kmet is every bit as important to that, especially since the Bears have shifted to a more outside zone attack.
This is why the coaching staff wanted to keep him. Just because he might not be a primary pass target doesn’t mean they didn’t have a vision for what he could do. The results are becoming increasingly apparent each week.
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