Latest news with #ColeKmet
Forbes
2 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Bears' Fixture Cole Kmet Hopes To Help His Team Create Stability
Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet (85) works out during practice at NFL football training camp, ... More Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Lake Forest, Ill. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley) Cole Kmet is only 26 but an old man when he's on the job at Halas Hall. He's in his sixth season with the Bears, which gives he and Jaylon Johnson seniority over everyone else on the roster. Life comes at you fast in the NFL, and Kmet has learned this the hard way. He's playing for his fourth fifth head coach in seven years, counting his time under Brian Kelly at Notre Dame. He was drafted by Ryan Pace, who preceded Ryan Poles as the Chicago general manager, and has played for Bears teams compiling a 29-55 record. The Bears gave Kmet a four-year, $50-million contract after the 2022 season, which was Poles' first season in charge. They selected tight end Colston Loveland in the first round of the '25 draft, which focused attention on how only one more season of Kmet's extension is guaranteed. It officially runs through 2027 but carries a dead-cap hit of only $3.2 million if he is released after '25. Given the short life span of NFL players, Kmet wouldn't be the first who looked at such circumstances from a selfish perspective. But new Bears coach Ben Johnson says Kmet has been a pleasure to get to know. Johnson praises Kmet's 'positive energy' as he looks for ways to help quarterback Caleb Williams and others while learning yet another new offense. 'You could tell instantly when he was around the other offensive players, the rest of the team, there's an instant respect level,' Johnson told reporters at Halas Hall before training camp. 'He's done things the right way for a long time, and so it's been great, not just him learning the offense, but helping others in the process as well.' Kmet called Johnson and his staff 'relentless on the details' during mini-camps and OTAs. '(I'm) not saying other coaches weren't detailed, but it's like an obsession with … him,' he told beat reporters. Kmet could seem like something of a forgotten man when pre-season games roll around in August. The focus will be on Loveland, who was one of Michigan's top weapons on the 2023 national championship team, as well as a suddenly deep stable of wide receivers. DJ Moore will be pushed by 2024 first-round pick Rome Odunze and '25 second-rounder Luther Burden III to see who emerges as the top target in Johnson's offense. Loveland has been limited after the shoulder surgery he underwent in January but should be able to cut it loose in time for the exhibition schedule, if not a pair of joint practices. Johnson was known for using multiple tight ends while serving as Detroit's offensive coordinator, so it should be fun to see the plays he draws up for both tight ends. Kmet, who is considered a solid blocker, had a career-high 73 catches in 2023. That was only 23 fewer than Moore as the Bears often looked for Justin Fields to run the ball. While Kmet caught 10 passes from Williams against Indianapolis in Week 3, that combination only occasionally clicked during the 5-12 season. Kmet finished with 47 catches for 474 yards, including six games when he was either shut out or had just one catch. Yet he maintains a fair amount of respect around the league. Pro Football Focus ranks him 29th among NFL tight ends entering this season, six spots believe Loveland. It graded him out 42nd best last season, his lowest ranking since he was a rookie. He was ranked 11th after the productive '23 season. Kmet was a year away from free agency when Poles rewarded him with his extension. He carries a full salary cap hit of $11.6 million each of the next three seasons but looks like a candidate for a possible restructuring. Based on early impressions, he's going to do everything he can to avoid being deemed expendable. While he's not really an old dog, don't be surprised if he finds some new tricks working with Johnson and Loveland.
CBS News
6 days ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Head coach Ben Johnson pulls first team offense from field in first day of training camp
Wednesday marked the first practice of Ben Johnson's first training camp as Chicago Bears head coach. As tight end Cole Kmet put it, there was urgency from the get-go. That urgency included Johnson at one point pulling the first team offense off the field during the portion of the camp for which the media could not shoot video. The move didn't surprise Kmet. "No, not at all," he said. I think that's on par for how Ben is." Kmet said he could not repeat specifically what Johnson said. "All I heard was a little bit of yelling," Johnson said. "That's on par for Ben. If you're not doing it right, he's going to get you out. It's just a lesson to us that, you know, you've got to be on the details, we've got to be on the details going into practice." Meanwhile, new Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen says he is trying to create a culture on the defensive side of the ball too. That started with having all his guys do up/downs at the beginning of practice. "Training camp is going to be difficult, and we're going to have to be able to overcome when we're tired," Allen said. "How do we focus? How do we concentrate? How do we dig down deep inside, and rise up, and make plays in critical situations of the game?" Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds set the tone intercepting quarterback Caleb Williams first pass during 11-on-11. Allen said he expects Edmunds to be an exceptional playmaker. Meanwhile, there was no sign Wednesday of rookie receiver Luther Burden, who missed most of the offseason program with a hamstring issue.
New York Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Bears training camp observations: Offense draws Ben Johnson's ire, defense pays toll
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet wasn't taken aback when head coach Ben Johnson pulled the starting offense off the field during a drill in the first practice of training camp. 'I think that's on par for how Ben is,' Kmet said. After a completion to Kmet in 11-on-11 work, Johnson had to yell at the offense to re-huddle up when things weren't right. Quarterback Caleb Williams connected with Kmet on the next play, but then twice he had to gather the offense in the huddle. Advertisement Johnson had seen enough. The first-team offense went to the side, and in came the backups. 'If you're not doing it right, he's gonna get you out and he's not going to (let) that stuff continue,' Kmet said. 'It's just a lesson to us that you got to be on the details. We got be on the details going into practice and we're going to get our reps in.' It's going to be a theme of the start of the Johnson era — the attention to detail and accountability. We all have to be a little careful. Matt Eberflus wasn't some soft coach who cut corners when he arrived. But Johnson's intensity is apparent when things aren't going right. 'No detail goes unnoticed,' Kmet said. 'You may catch a ball, and it might be a big play in practice, but he's harping on the detail of your alignment is off or your steps are off here, and even though we got the result right, we didn't do it the right way at times. 'Those are the details you need to hear, and you can't be result-driven all the time, especially this time of the year in training camp. You've really got to be detail-driven, and Ben is all about the details, and you feel that in every meeting.' This was the moment, the first snap of team drills all summer. It had been six weeks. Williams took the snap, dropped back to pass … and got picked off. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds read the route and jumped it, intercepting the pass and running the other way. 'I'm anticipating him being an exceptional playmaker for us,' defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said. 'He's got size. He's got range. He's got speed, a lot of the things we're going to look for in terms of — look, it's hard to throw over him. He's got length in the middle of the field. I'm excited to see what he can do. That was a good start, but you know, we have a long way to go.' Advertisement The first play that seemed to ignite the offensive sideline came a few plays later, when quarterback Case Keenum hit receiver Devin Duvernay over the middle for a long gain. Williams got in a groove later in practice with completions to Kmet and running back D'Andre Swift. When the defense opened practice, Nahshon Wright was tabbed with the outside cornerback duties opposite Tyrique Stevenson. Signed on April 8 — one day after the Vikings cut him — Wright is hard to miss with his 6-foot-4 frame. He has played in 33 games since 2021 with three starts and has one career interception. Wright had experience in that spot during OTAs and minicamp, Allen said, giving him the Day 1 nod, but the coordinator emphasized that players will move around. Terell Smith should also get some reps there in Jaylon Johnson's absence. 'We didn't see a lot of him in the spring. He was coming off the injury. He's worked extremely hard to get himself back,' Allen said. 'I'm excited about seeing what he can do and … he's got some of the characteristics we're looking for in our corners. He's got size. He's got speed. He's got length and those are the things I think are important to play that position for us in our style of defense.' As for Johnson, who is on the non-football injury list with a leg injury, Allen called the Pro Bowler a 'consummate professional.' 'I feel good about him being ready when his body's ready to go,' he said. 'So from that standpoint, not a ton of concern there. And I think really our focus has to be on the guys that we have out here right now. We're going to work on coaching the hell out of them and getting those guys better. Sometimes you have to face some adversity and how you overcome that, we'll get a good opportunity to see who wants to step up in his absence.' Advertisement Defensive players got a throwback at the start of practice: up-downs. Players hit the deck before jumping back up in the grueling conditioning drill. 'It took me back to like seventh, eighth grade a little bit,' linebacker T.J. Edwards said. ' It's funny because I was talking to Kevin Byard, I was just checking my tempo a little bit and your head is kind of straight down the whole time, but he was wearing green cleats today (and) out of the corner of my eye (were) his cleats, and I was making sure I was going the same as he was. But it was cool. 'Obviously, when you're in it, it's not that coo,l but when you get done and you all are kind of a little tired and then you go out to practice, it's kind of what you want. It's that grimy camp start, but it was a good time for sure.' It's something Allen has always incorporated in his defense. He explained his philosophy. 'It's all part of building the culture of what type of defense we're going to be,' he said. 'You have to pay the toll. You have to pay the price. It's a privilege to be on this defense. We've been doing that on every defense that I've been associated with since 2009. And it's a way to mentally train players to be tough and push through adversity. 'Training camp is going to be difficult, and we have to be able to overcome when we're tired. How do we focus? How do we concentrate? How do we dig down deep inside, rise up and make plays in critical situations of the game? A lot of times, that comes with being tired. So, it's all part of — as much as it's about training them physically, it's about training them mentally.' From 2022 to 2023, linebacker DeMario Davis was a Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro for the Saints in Allen's scheme. That should be a good blueprint for Edmunds and Edwards to see the potential from their position. 'It's aggressive and there's a good amount of thinking, too,' Edwards said. 'A lot of processing, being able to have vision at times and also winning your one-on-ones and attacking downhill, getting doubles off of the big guys up front so they can go do what they need to do.' Advertisement In Eberflus' defense, Edmunds played the middle and Edwards was on the weak side. Allen will have the two play both of those positions during camp. 'I think, in particular, during the early portions of camp, you cross-train guys,' he said. 'You only have 53 guys on game day, and you're only going to have about 22 defensive players to carry into a game. Injuries happen and you have to make adjustments during the course of a game. The more guys we have who can play multiple spots and do multiple things, the better we're going to be. Ultimately, we want to be able to put our best 11 on the field. To do that, you have to be able to cross-train guys and put them in different positions. • Rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III, who missed all of OTAs and minicamp, was not present for the first day of camp. Same goes for rookie corner Zah Frazier. Updates could come Thursday morning when Johnson addresses the media next. • Rookie tight end Colston Loveland was out there, but in a limited fashion. Left tackle Braxton Jones also had his first practice of the year. He did not participate in team drills as rookie Ozzy Trapilo ran with the starters. • Quarterback Tyson Bagent and rookie receiver JP Richardson combined for the highlight of the day. Bagent escaped the pocket to his right and motioned for Richardson to turn up the sideline. Bagent lofted the pass, and Richardson hauled it in with one arm with a defender draped all over him. (Top photo of Caleb Williams: Kamil Krzaczynski / Imagn Images)
New York Times
09-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Chicago Bears fan survey 2025: Ben Johnson's arrival, Caleb Williams' next step
At this time last year, this survey dubbed it the 'Summer of the Chicago Bears.' Then the fall and winter happened. Fortunately for the 2025 Bears — and the fans — this isn't your normal team that had to fire a coach in season and bring in a new staff. The intrigue last summer was very high, with increased expectations, the No. 1 pick at quarterback and HBO's 'Hard Knocks' in town. Advertisement Is the intrigue even greater now? Ben Johnson comes to Chicago with more fanfare than just about any head coach in recent memory. General manager Ryan Poles dramatically bolstered the offensive line. A very good defense returns nearly every starter. Welcome to our sixth annual fan survey, which is now on its third head coach. Only two players remain on the roster from the first survey — tight end Cole Kmet and cornerback Jaylon Johnson. How have feelings about quarterback Caleb Williams changed from last summer? Which new players excite fans most? When will the stadium situation get resolved? It's time to get your thoughts ahead of 2025 training camp — results will be posted next week. (Note: Readers using our app on an Android device might need to use two fingers to scroll through the survey. On an iPhone, be sure to scroll the survey inside the border. If it stops scrolling before the end, scroll outside the border of the survey to the bottom to submit. If you have trouble with the form below, you can use this direct link.) Loading…
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Bear's Den, July 8, 2025
WE WANT YOU! Would you like to show your Chicago Bears spirit to the world? I'm starting a feature where Windy City Gridiron readers can share pictures of themselves and their families and friends in Bears attire. Simply email a picture to me at the following address: denmasterken at aol dot com. The pictures need to be clear, and full resolution (i.e. full size from your phone if that's how you take them). Include any description information you like along with the photo! Advertisement THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL DENMASTER KEN'S VIDEO GRAB BAG BEARRRSSSS Chicago Bears mailbag: Did they finally get it right with Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams? - The Athletic - Heading into training camp, what's on the minds of Bears fans? Did they finally get it right at coach and QB? Will Cole Kmet be traded? 2025 NFL offensive line rankings: Eagles, Broncos lead the way, Bears up to fourth. - Things are set to look a lot different in Chicago. Not only is the offensive line remolded, but it's also perhaps the most improved unit in the NFL. 2015 NFL Redraft: Rebuilding the first round based on PFF grades and data, Bears make huge change - At the time, Kevin White was viewed as the next Julio Jones-type receiver, boasting a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds. But injuries early in his career dashed hopes of that level of production. Advertisement 2025 NFL All-Rookie Team: Projecting 11 instant-impact newcomers on offense - - Colston Loveland makes the list. Standing 6-6, 241 pounds, Loveland is a tight end who runs routes with the fluidity of a wideout. That's what makes him special. And that's what made Sam LaPorta a rookie Pro Bowler under Ben Johnson in Detroit, so it stands to reason that Johnson will get the most out of Loveland in Chicago. 2025 NFL offseason: Biggest surprise players on each team - ESPN - Ben Johnson singled out Ruben Hyppolite as the player that Bears coaches saw the most improvement from this spring. With veteran T.J. Edwards sidelined with a soft tissue injury, Hyppolite got a lot of run with the starting defense at a position he doesn't have much experience at (weakside linebacker) after playing middle linebacker throughout his career at Maryland. POLISH SAUSAGE Mark Davis: Al Davis loved Las Vegas, would love seeing where the Raiders are now - NBC Sports - The legendary Raiders owner Al Davis died in 2011, having moved his franchise from Oakland to Los Angeles and back, but he didn't live to see his team in Las Vegas. Advertisement Report: Nyheim Hines wants to find a team for training camp - NBC Sports - Nyheim Hines would like another shot. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON Bears superlatives for 2025 offseason - Windy City Gridiron - WCG's lead draft analyst analyzes his 'superlatives' for the Bears' choices in the 2025 offseason. 2025 Chicago Bears Training Camp Battle: WR3: Burden vs Zaccheaus - Windy City Gridiron - Luther Burden and Olamide Zaccheaus will battle it out for WR3. 10 Most Important Bears of 2025: #8 Grady Jarrett - Windy City Gridiron - Grady Jarrett was released by the Atlanta Falcons just a couple of hours before the early negotiation period for free agency was about to start, and the Chicago Bears worked quickly to ink him to a... Advertisement SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE PAGE 2nd City Gridiron is our video home! So hit the link and help us grow that brand! THE RULES Windy City Gridiron Community Guidelines - - We strive to make our communities open and inclusive to sports fans of all backgrounds. The following are not permitted in comments. No personal attacks, politics, gender-based insults of any kind, racial insults, etc. 2nd City Gridiron Podcast Channel which includes Bears Banter hosted by Bill Zimmerman, Bear & Balanced from Jeff Berckes and Lester A. Wiltfong Jr., Bears Over Beers featuring a rotating host line-up of Ryan Droste, Khari Thompson, Jacob Infante, and Bryan Orenchuk, Making Monsters with Taylor Doll, Bear Bones from Dr. Mason West, and an occasional T Formation Conversation from Lester; Steven's Streaming Twitch Channel from Steven Schweickert is another fun one. Advertisement Powered by RedCircle Click on our names to follow us on Twitter: Jeff Berckes; Dr. Patti Curl; Ryan Droste; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter; Dan Durkin; Taylor Doll; Kev H; Sam Householder; Jacob Infante; Aaron Lemming; Dr. Ken Mitchell; Danny Meehan; Bryan Orenchuk; Jack R Salo; Khari Thompson; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; T.J. Starman; Khari Thompson; Dr. Mason West; Bill Zimmerman; 2nd City Gridiron; Like WCG on Facebook; Like 2nd City Gridiron on Facebook. A few of us are also over at Bluesky. More from
