When Cole Kmet was asked this week to assess his play in 2021, the Chicago Bears tight end noted what he believed was an obstacle in his first two NFL seasons — multiple quarterback changes.
That included a 2020 season in which the Bears waffled between Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles and a 2021 season in which Andy Dalton was the starter through training camp and the first two games before he was injured. The Bears turned to Justin Fields, who later missed five games with injuries and COVID-19.
Former Bears coach Matt Nagy and offensive coordinator Bill Lazor both called plays in that span.
“I’ve had a lot of not just quarterbacks but quarterback changes, so it’s tough,” Kmet said. “I mean, it’s tough on a player trying to get a feel for guys and different scheme changes depending on who the quarterback is. So for me it’s just always doing what I’m asked, and at the end of the day that’s all you can control.”
As Kmet enters Year 3, the second-round draft pick finally should have quarterback continuity with Fields. He seized on an opportunity earlier this offseason to work out with Fields and wide receiver Darnell Mooney in Atlanta, which he said was as much about building their relationship as their chemistry on the field.
There are, of course, more changes under new coach Matt Eberflus, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and a very different tight ends room. But Kmet seemed enthusiastic about what the new offense can do for him and Fields.
Kmet said he can get a feel for how tight ends will be used in Getsy’s offense by looking at similar offenses around the league, with Robert Tonyan in Green Bay and George Kittle in San Francisco.
“You see how the tight end is involved in the run scheme, and off of that, the play-action movements,” he said. “And all of those type of things can be really advantageous for tight ends.”
Pressed for reasons for optimism about the offense at this early juncture, he added: “It is a ‘we’ll see.’ I don’t want to get too much in detail with it, but Justin’s on the move a lot, and I think he does well with that. That’s been exciting to see, and you see the types of throws he can make with his legs and on the run and off schedule. No pads right now, but you see that type of stuff and it gets exciting.”
Kmet has room for growth after a 2021 season in which he totaled 60 catches on 93 targets for 612 yards. That was a big bump from his rookie season totals of 28 catches for 243 yards as he saw a significant increase in playing time.
But Kmet knows he could make a bigger impact this year, particularly in the red zone. Kmet didn’t have any touchdown catches in 2021. He had five catches on 12 targets inside the 20-yard line and no catches on four targets inside the 10, according to Pro Football Reference.
On Tuesday, Kmet recalled two end-zone opportunities in 2021 he wished he had back — one on a timing issue between him and Fields against the San Francisco 49ers and another missed connection against the Green Bay Packers.
“I look back at each part of my game and that was an area that was lacking for me,” he said.
As he looks to better himself this offseason, Kmet said he is focused on hands catches and “really craving violence through my blocks, especially on double teams.”
He also will attend “Tight End University,” the three-day event in Nashville, Tenn., organized by Kittle, Travis Kelce and Greg Olsen. Kmet, who went to the inaugural event last year, said it’s chance to have fun with other tight ends — “I’m not going to lie, that’s most of the trip” — but also pick their brains on how they work on and off the field.
As for his work at Halas Hall during organized team activities, Kmet said he has tried to show the new staff he is capable of being involved in multiple aspects of the offense.
Getsy said earlier this month that he was impressed with Kmet, both because of the mindset he brings to his work and his flexibility as a player.
“I’m excited to see him have a bunch of different roles in our offense,” Getsy said. “Some players that are out there, they’re kind of like, ‘This is what they do well.’ But I think the more guys that you can get in a system that can do a bunch of different things, the more success you’re going to have, and I think Cole is one of those guys.”
As Kmet navigates working under the new coaches, he tries to keep in mind what his uncle, Jeff Zgonina, once said about what it took to last 17 seasons in the NFL.
Zgonina, who was a defensive lineman for seven teams, said, “You feel like you’re getting cut every day.” It doesn’t mean operating with fear, Kmet said, but an urgency to put in the work.
“Regardless of whether it was the old regime, new regime, this is the NFL — jobs are on the line every day — so you’ve got to come to work with that,” Kmet said. “Like, it’s go time. There’s no reason not to study the night before. You’ve got to know your stuff before you come in. There’s no excuse for not knowing what to do on a play whether they installed it correctly or not. You’ve got all the sheets. You’ve got everything. You’ve got to be a pro and know what you’re doing.”
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