NFL Ranks Surprising Chicago Bears Name Among League's Best

When talking about the Chicago Bears offense, two names have dominated headlines over the past two weeks. One is, of course, quarterback Justin Fields. His recent outbursts against Denver and Washington have him looking like a completely different player, with eight touchdown passes and only one interception in that span. The other is wide receiver D.J. Moore, fresh off his 230-yard, 3-TD domination of the Commanders on Thursday Night Football. He ranks top-5 in both yards and touchdowns among receivers this season. Most would have you believe they are the only reason the offense is suddenly thriving. That would be a far too simplistic view.

In reality, the Bears have gotten significant contributions from another of their players. That is Cole Kmet. GM Ryan Poles loved what he saw from the tight end last season. That is why the team handed him a lucrative four-year contract extension. It appears the money didn't alter his approach. Kmet is off to the best start of his career. Through five games, he ranks 7th in receiving yards among tight ends and is tied for the league lead with three touchdowns. NFL Next Gen ranked him 4th at his position this year.

"The Justin Fields-Kmet connection is real. Since 2022, the duo’s nine touchdown connections are the most on the team and account for the third-most touchdowns of any QB-TE duo.

Chicago’s offense might have gotten off to a slow start this season, but Kmet has produced handsomely. His 231 receiving yards through five weeks ranks sixth most and his +3.7% catch rate over expected is fourth best at his position (min. 30 targets). Kmet has also corralled three touchdowns this season, matching the league-high receiving TD totals among tight ends put up by Sam LaPorta, Mark Andrews, George Kittle and Travis Kelce."

The Chicago Bears should be thrilled with Kmet's progress.

Many quickly declared him a bust after a somewhat quiet first two years. His seven touchdowns in 2022 indicated he may have turned a corner. Now he's on pace for 785 yards and 10 touchdowns. Both would be career highs and the best season a Bears tight end has had in almost a decade. It would be a fitting slap in the face of those who claimed Kmet was overdrafted back in 2020. He may not be Travis Kelce or George Kittle, but it's clear by now that he is a solid football player. You can never have enough of those.

The best part for the Chicago Bears is opponents can't just adjust their coverages to blanket Kmet. That would require them to take attention away from Moore. Doing that is tantamount to football suicide, as the Commanders figured out. As long as he's drawing attention, Kmet will be free to exploit softer coverages almost at will. This is the vision Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus had for the offense months ago. It is great to see things finally coming together.