(104.3 The Score) Bears veteran tight end Cole Kmet, the team’s longest-tenured player, will miss the remainder of this season due to a significant right knee injury, head coach Ben Johnson said Friday.
The 27-year-old Kmet will be placed on injured reserve and sidelined for the rest of the season. He suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of the Bears’ 30-24 win over the the Patriots on Thursday at Soldier Field. Kmet was down on the field for several minutes as teammates gathered by his side. He then was carted off while offering a wave to the crowd at Soldier Field.
A second-round pick of the Bears in 2020, Kmet has missed just one game during seven NFL seasons with the team. He grew up in the Chicago area as a fan of the Bears.
"I've got so much respect for the player that he is, but also the person, the leader," Johnson said. "He's everything we want to be about here. He's one of the glue guys. He's one of the guys that I can count on, whether it's a messaging standpoint or getting the pulse of the team. He's going to be sorely missed. Really, he's Chicago. 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.”
Kmet had hauled in his 10th reception of the season before suffering the injury. He had one touchdown on the year. Kmet has 22 touchdowns during the course of his career with the Bears.
Kmet is one of the most beloved players in the Bears' locker room.
"I don't have the words to describe what Cole is to me, what Cole is to this team, to this organization," Bears quarterback Caleb Williams said. "He's the longest-tenured Bear, I believe. He's been through it. So, it's challenging, it's tough. I'll be right there with him through every step of whatever the injury is. Cole has been there for me every step of the way, through the first year, the second year and now through this year. So, I can only do the same for him.”
Fortunately for the Bears, their tight end position is deep. Colston Loveland is the top player at the position, while rookie Sam Roush, a third-round pick out of Stanford, is now in line for a larger role with Kmet out.
Though Roush has struggled early in his rookie season, Johnson believes he's ready to contribute more.
"We'll be able to see the player that we drafted," Johnson said. "We had high hopes when we took him.
"I'm confident in what he's going to be able to do for us back half of the season.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears and the Chicago sports scene for 104.3 The Score.
