Cole Kmet Out for 2026 After Serious Knee Injury — SkimNews
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- Cole Kmet will be placed on season-ending injured reserve after Friday morning testing, having been unable to bear weight on his right leg following a serious knee injury.
- Cole Kmet was carted to the locker room after an 8-yard catch from Caleb Williams with 5:46 left in the fourth quarter ended in a sideline collision with Christian Gonzalez and Robert Spillane.
- Ben Johnson called Kmet one of the team's "glue guys" and said he would be "sorely missed," while adding that someone else has to step up.
- Cole Kmet totaled 10 catches for 87 yards and one touchdown in seven games and logged an eighth-highest offensive snap count at 62.19%.
- Cole Kmet became just the second tight end in Bears franchise history to surpass 3,000 career receiving yards, joining Hall of Famer Mike Ditka after catching three passes for 28 yards Thursday.
- Colston Loveland and rookie Sam Roush will be leaned on to replace Kmet, with Stephen Carlson, Qadir Ismail and Hayden Large deeper in Chicago's depth chart.
- Chicago Bears use some of the NFL's highest rates of 12 and 13 personnel, while Johnson said the offense will not change because all the tight ends were trained for multiple roles.
Why it matters: Chicago must replace a tight end who played 62.19% of snaps and became one of only two Bears tight ends to surpass 3,000 receiving yards. Colston Loveland and rookie Sam Roush will take on the larger role, while Ben Johnson said the offense will remain built around 12 and 13 personnel rather than change.
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