Cole Kmet sidelined by season-ending knee injury, testing tight end depth for the Chicago Bears

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears like their group of tight ends, and the position plays a major role in coach Ben Johnson's offense.

That depth is about to be tested.

Chicago will be without Cole Kmet for the rest of the season after he hurt his right knee on a reception with 5:34 left in Thursday night's 30-24 win over New England. It's the first major injury for Kmet since the Illinois native was selected by the Bears in the second round of the 2020 draft out of Notre Dame.

“He’s going to be sorely missed. Really, he’s Chicago,” Johnson said Friday. “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.”

Kmet had just 10 catches for 87 yards and a touchdown in seven games this season, but his value to the Bears (5-2) goes beyond his personal numbers. He has been a dependable blocker for Chicago's potent rushing attack, and his versatility has created more flexibility with how the team deploys the rest of its tight ends.

Kmet's injury comes with Colston Loveland beginning to heat up after a slow start to the season. The second-year tight end has 13 receptions for 134 yards and two touchdowns in his last two games.

“He’s come on," Johnson said. “The target share’s gone up a little bit. He’s done a really nice job. He’s getting open.”

Kmet's absence likely means a bigger role for rookie Sam Roush, a third-round pick in the draft out of Stanford. The Bears also have Stephen Carlson and Qadir Ismail on their practice squad, and Hayden Large could be activated at some point after beginning the season on injured reserve.

Roush, 23, has three receptions for 33 yards in seven games.

“We’ve been very pleased with the improvement that he’s made over these first seven weeks,” Johnson said. “There’s a high likelihood that his rep count is going to go up as a result of what’s going on here. ... Very smart player. He had some rookie hiccups early in the season, like everybody does, and yet he learns. He doesn’t make the same mistake twice.”

Caleb Williams posted another impressive performance in his second game back since being sidelined by a right hamstring injury. He was 22 for 33 for 308 yards and two touchdowns.

Williams became the third quarterback in franchise history to throw for 300-plus yards in back-to-back wins, joining Sid Luckman in 1947 and Billy Wade in 1962.

There has been some inconsistency with Chicago's secondary. The Bears allowed Jordan Love to pass for 367 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-7 loss at Green Bay on Oct. 11, and they also struggled with Drake Maye in the win over New England. Maye threw for 321 yards and two TDs.

Rome Odunze had three receptions for 63 yards — in the fourth quarter. He had six catches for 79 yards over the previous two games combined.

The 24-year-old Odunze played a major role in Chicago's drive to Cairo Santos' 58-yard field goal with 1:34 left. With the Bears facing third-and-9 from their own 10, Odunze made a terrific catch on a 21-yard gain . After D’Andre Swift lost 2 yards on a first-down carry, Odunze had another 21-yard reception.

Jaylon Johnson had a rough night. The cornerback whiffed when he tried to tackle Maye on a 15-yard scramble with 3:32 left in the second quarter. He had a similar issue on Rhamondre Stevenson's 48-yard touchdown reception on the final play of the first half. He also was called for pass interference on New England's last drive of the game.

Besides Kmet's departure against the Patriots, Chicago also lost cornerback Malik Muhammad to a toe injury. There was no update on his status on Friday.

71% — Williams' 71% completion rate ranks second in the NFL among qualified passers, going into this weekend's action. He completed 58.1% of his passes last season.

The Bears don’t play again until they visit Seattle on Nov. 2. The last time the teams played, Jason Myers kicked two first-half field goals to send the Seahawks to an ugly 6-3 win at Soldier Field on Dec. 26, 2024. Following the trip to Seattle, the Bears host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nov. 8.

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