The Chicago Bears’ 2020 offseason can be summed up by one position: tight end. The Bears acquired so many tight ends that they became the butt of many jokes around the league, no pun intended.
After signing veteran Jimmy Graham in free agency to a then-surprising two-year, $16 million contract, the Bears appeared out of the tight end market for the 2020 NFL draft. But when Notre Dame stud Cole Kmet was on the board at No. 43 overall, GM Ryan Pace wasted little time calling his name.
Kmet finished his rookie season with a stat line that would make the casual fan unimpressed. He had just 28 catches for 243 yards and two touchdowns. But what the box score doesn’t tell you is that Kmet’s role in the Bears offense was limited — for reasons that still confuse fans to this day — and it wasn’t until Week 12 against the Packers that he consistently saw starter’s reps.
Kmet finished the year with enough good film to feel good about his role in Chicago. He began 2020 as the tight end of the future. He’ll start 2021 as the tight end of the present.
Here are his rookie season highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSgNg3bNfwI