Bear Digest

Cole Kmet Sees Changing Role as Sign of Successful Bears Times

Bears tight end has seen the fall, the climb back and now he's hoping for the playoff run even if his role is changed away from being one of the top two pass targets.

Gene Chamberlain

Cole Kmet signs autographs at Halas Hall during training camp. Kmet's role could change away from being a top pass target with all of the weapons available in the passing game.
Cole Kmet signs autographs at Halas Hall during training camp. Kmet's role could change away from being a top pass target with all of the weapons available in the passing game. / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
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Cole Kmet arrived at Halas Hall just in time to see the downfall, and now, he hopes, the climb back to contention.

No one among starters, other than Jaylon Johnson, can trace the path of the organization from within the locker room better. For Kmet as a Chicago area native, it's even more significant to see what he says has happened within the organization.

He traces much of it to when Kevin Warren took over as team president just after 2022 and the first year of the rebuild.

"Since Kevin's gotten here, you can feel the energy from other aspects in the building, whether it's in the cafeteria or you're hearing from people in the media department, whatever it is, there's a different culture around the building it seems like, and you've got to give some of that to Kevin in terms of people he's brought in and maybe the structure that's (in) place here.

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"You definitely feel that. There's just a new energy with all the people that we have in here. That's been really cool to see and it's been a stark difference since I got here my first year to now."

The personnel and coaching took an upgrade before Warren arrived, Kmet says, with the change to coach Matt Eberflus and GM Ryan Poles.

"It's been good. I think the first year with Flus implementing his kind of culture, there's always a little bit of culture shock with everybody," Kmet said.

The Eberflus HITS principle isn't for everyone.

"It's new and it's different but I think coach and Ryan have done a good job of bringing in guys that buy into this type of culture," Kmet said. "You just look at the guys that they drafted this past year with Caleb (Williams) and Rome (Odunze), I can’t think of two better guys personality wise that could fit into this locker room.

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"So, I don't think there's a lot of guys across the league that would necessarily fit in here that could understand the way we work every day and kind of the grind we go through. But you've got to have guys that are willing to accept that and take that challenge on and I think Ryan has done a good job of bringing those guys in and Flus has done an awesome job of pinpointing that type of culture (in players)."

The talent level has increased and it became obvious as they began winning games at midseason in 2023.

"I feel like I look around and we've just got a ton of good players everywhere, whether that's offense, defense, special teams," Kmet said. "I mean, I'm amazed by our punter, watching our punter (Tory Taylor) punt every day. It's like he has a 9-iron and a 6-iron in the bag anytime he wants it. It's pretty crazy.

"I just think there's a lot of depth everywhere and I think that was evident in the preseason games with how we did and us going 4-0 in those games and being pretty dominant in most of those wins. I think that there's a lot of depth throughout the roster and I'm sure the roster cuts (Wednesday) and the other day weren’t too easy on Ryan. That just means that he’s put together a pretty deep roster and I like what I see all around."

Poles had predicted it would be difficult long ago.

With more talent, roles change. Kmet finished first or second in receptions on the team the last three years but doing it now might mean something has gone wrong with the offense, considering they have Keenan Allen, DJ Moore and Rome Odunze at wide receiver and Gerald Everett at the other tight end position.

“I mean, like, look, if I get more open looks, that’s great,” Kmet said. “At the end of the day, I just think that helps us win more games. If that means my target share goes down and we win more games, I am all for that.

“It’s been a long four years of losing for the most part since I’ve been here, and I’m really excited about what we’ve got offensively all around, and I think a lot of guys are going to play off each other. If they’re going to be rotating over to DJ, that’s going to obviously help Keenan and Rome. If they’re taking away the outside with the receivers, you’ve got inside with the tight ends, and you’ve got a run game to account for as well. The main thing is just excelling in the role they give you each and every week. I look forward to doing that, and I think that’s going to result in a lot of wins this year.”

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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