Dan Orlovsky is an acquired taste as football analysts go. Nobody can deny the ESPN personality knows the game well. He played quarterback in the NFL for a few years, rubbing shoulders with some of the best in the league. Since then, he's put in plenty of work studying film on established players and incoming players. While his opinions can sometimes shoot wide of the mark, there is no denying his views often come from well-informed places. That is why his latest Chicago Bears nugget was an interesting one.
It came out of nowhere. There was no preamble or buildup. Orlovsky dropped a single tweet in the morning with a one-sentence statement. Yet it carried significant weight behind it.
Some might consider last season as a breakout year for Cole Kmet. He had 544 yards and seven touchdowns. However, it came during the first year in a brand-new offense. This system under Luke Getsy is notorious for elevating tight ends. Usually, it's the second season where the true brilliance begins. Shannon Sharpe, Jordan Reed, Owen Daniels, and George Kittle can attest to this.
Cole Kmet has everything to gain this year.
His confidence is sky-high, having already produced well in this system last year. Now he knows all the intricacies of the scheme and can take advantage. Quarterback Justin Fields has full trust in him and should receive better protection from the offensive line. To top it off, Kmet has the added motivation of being in a contract season. That is usually when players bring their best. Then again, from the way GM Ryan Poles talks he might be in line to get his extension before the season begins.
It doesn't change what Orlovsky says. Cole Kmet showed a lot of potential last year under tough conditions. Now the hurdles are much lower—no more confusion with the scheme. New weapons like D.J. Moore will pull coverages away from the middle of the field, allowing him even more space to operate. Plenty of people doubted Kmet had what it took to be a legitimate threat in the passing game. He already proved them wrong last year. Now he has a chance to silence them for good.
