Chicago Bears remain committed to Cole Kmet despite Colston Loveland pick

The Chicago Bears made a major statement when they selected tight end Colston Loveland with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. With fellow tight end Cole Kmet on the roster, it may seem like an odd decision on the surface by the Bears.

However, new head coach Ben Johnson ran plenty of two-tight end sets during his time with the Detroit Lions. Furthermore, Chicago is trying to become much more dynamic after finishing the 2024 campaign dead last in total offense, averaging just 284.6 yards per game. Adding a player like Loveland to the mix should certainly make the Bears most explosive whenever they have the ball.

But despite the glow of Loveland being a first-round pick, the Bears won’t soon forget about Kmet. Instead, Johnson and company are still planning on the tight end having a major role in the offense even after the arrival of Loveland, via Courtney Cronin of ESPN.

“Loveland won’t see the field for several months while he continues to rehab his shoulder, so early indications of how Chicago will utilize the rookie and veteran tight end Cole Kmet won’t come until later,” Cronin wrote.

“The Bears are adamant Kmet will maintain a significant role despite a dip in his production last year,” Cronin continued. “Kmet went from 719 yards and six TDs in 2023 to 474 and four playing with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams in 2024.”

Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland co-exist on Chicago Bears

The Bears undoubtedly wanted to add offense with Johnson’s official head coaching debut looming. At No. 10, they felt Loveland was the best option available. While he is a tight end by title, Loveland’s athleticism is much greater than many options currently in the NFL.

Over his three years with Michigan, the tight end caught 117 passes for 1,466 yards and 11 touchdowns. He won a national championship in 2023 before setting new career-highs in receptions (56) and touchdowns (five) in 2024. Loveland ended his time with the Wolverines as a Second-team All-American.

With his athleticism, Loveland is a menace with the ball in space. As DJ Moore and Rome Odunze operate on the premier, Loveland will work up the middle. The tight end has the speed to get past linebackers and the toughness to gain extra yards after the catch. Overall, Loveland is expected to be an offensive dynamo for Johnson.

But where does that leave Kmet? While nothing is official until a contract it signed, it seems unlikely that Keenan Allen will be making a return to the Windy City in 2025. If that remains true, then 70 receptions, 744 yards and a team-leading seven touchdowns are on the table.

Kmet can become a true force in the red zone and a big bodied safety blanket in the short game. The tight end has caught 19 touchdowns over his five years with the Bears, including seven in 2022. If the defense is crashing in on Williams, he could look Kmet’s way rather than trying to throw a bomb downfield. That’s not say Kmet can’t be a big play threat and Johnson will surely have some dialed up. But Kmet near the line of scrimmage, Loveland in the middle of the field, Moore and Odunze on the outside with Luther Burden causing havoc from the slot sounds like a scary offense to compete with on paper.

Johnson must figure out how to put all the pieces together, but he has committed to keeping Kmet featured in the offense. Rather than Loveland cutting into his performance, Chicago is hoping the veteran tight end adapts and thrives in their new-look offense.