CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears placed veteran tight end Cole Kmet on injured reserve Friday after he suffered a season-ending right knee injury during Thursday night’s 30-24 victory against the New England Patriots, the Associated Press reported.
Kmet was hurt with 5:34 remaining in the fourth quarter after hauling in an 8-yard catch, according to Yahoo Sports. New England cornerback Christian Gonzalez and linebacker Robert Spillane tackled Kmet, who immediately grabbed his right leg and could not put weight on it before being carted off the field at Soldier Field.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson confirmed the severity of the injury on Friday following medical examinations, calling the loss a difficult blow for the locker room.
“He’s going to be sorely missed. Really, he’s Chicago,” Johnson said, according to the AP. “He’s been here his whole life and he’s a big part of our heartbeat. So, it stinks, it does, I hate it for him, I hate it for his teammates as well. And yet the train keeps rolling along. Someone else has to step up.”
Impact on Chicago’s Offense
The injury marks the first significant absence of Kmet’s career since Chicago selected the Notre Dame product in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft, the AP reported. While the 27-year-old had recorded modest receiving numbers this season — catching 10 passes for 87 yards and one touchdown across seven contests — the coaching staff relied heavily on his blocking in multiple-tight-end formations.
Chicago holds a 5-2 record and currently sits as the No. 5 seed in the NFC playoff picture, Detroit Sports Nation reported. The Bears’ offense has leaned on two-tight-end sets to establish a productive ground attack and protect quarterback Caleb Williams, who threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns on Thursday night.
With Kmet sidelined, second-year tight end Colston Loveland is expected to shoulder a more central role in passing situations. Loveland has accumulated 13 catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns across his last two appearances, according to the AP.
Rookies and Roster Moves
Kmet’s departure opens up immediate opportunities for rookie tight end Sam Roush, a third-round selection out of Stanford. Roush, 23, has recorded three catches for 33 yards through seven games, the AP reported.
Johnson noted that Roush’s workload is scheduled to climb significantly in the coming weeks.
“There’s a high likelihood that his rep count is going to go up as a result of what’s going on here,” Johnson said, according to the AP. “Very smart player. He had some rookie hiccups early in the season, like everybody does, and yet he learns.”
Chicago also holds tight ends Stephen Carlson and Qadir Ismail on its practice squad, while Hayden Large remains on injured reserve with the possibility of returning later in the season, the AP reported. In a corresponding transaction on Friday, defensive end Montez Sweat returned to Chicago’s active roster after serving a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.
What Comes Next
The Bears enter an extended break before traveling to face the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 2. The team will monitor cornerback Malik Muhammad, who left Thursday’s game with a toe injury and had no official status update as of Friday, according to the AP.
