The Bears placed Kmet (knee) on injured reserve Friday.
Kmet suffered a season-ending right knee injury during the fourth quarter of the Bears' 30-24 win over the Patriots on Thursday. Even with the emergence of Colston Loveland, Kmet was still a key piece in Chicago's offense as a run blocker, and he'll end his 2026 regular season with a 10-87-1 receiving line (on 14 targets) across seven games. Rookie third-rounder Sam Roush is the only other healthy tight end on the 53-man roster other than Loveland, so the Bears could look to bolster the position group by trade or free agency.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Being sent to IR
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Bears coach Ben Johnson said Friday that Kmet (knee) will be placed on injured reserve, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports.
With Kmet now out for an extended period, potentially the remainder of the season, Chicago will be without its top blocking tight end after he exited Thursday night's game against the Patriots. His absence should open up more playing time for Sam Roush, but the Bears figure to make a move at the position.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Believed to have serious knee injury
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Kmet is believed to have suffered a serious right knee injury in Thursday night's win over the Patriots, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
That was obvious when he was immediately carted off the field late in the fourth quarter. Kmet has appeared in all seven games this season, recording 10 catches for 87 yards and a touchdown on 14 targets. His loss will be felt immensely in the blocking department, where he handles most of those duties to free up Colston Loveland to run routes. Sam Roush will be next up at the position for Chicago.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Done for night with knee injury
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Kmet exited Thursday night's game against the Patriots with a right knee injury and will not return.
Kmet caught a short pass near the sideline and was tackled by a pair of defenders, but he immediately grabbed at his knee and was carted to the locker room. Prior to going down in the fourth quarter, Kmet caught all three targets for 28 yards. For the season, the blocking specialist has 10 catches for 87 yards. Sam Roush will be in line for more snaps alongside Colston Loveland.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Two catches in Week 4 win
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Kmet caught both of his targets for 13 yards in Sunday's 23-12 win over the Jets.
Kmet played 68 of 93 offensive snaps in a game Chicago thoroughly dominated. The veteran tight end remains behind Colston Loveland on the depth chart, but he still plays a significant amount of snaps most weeks. Kmet just doesn't get too involved in the passing game, as he has four catches for 48 yards and a touchdown on seven targets across four contests this season.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Held without catch in Week 2 loss
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Kmet failed to catch his only target in Sunday's 9-3 loss to the Vikings.
While Kmet played 51 of 74 offensive snaps in Week 2, he ran just 13 pass routes and was asked to block 37 times. Kmet plays a bunch in a Chicago offense that likes to use multiple tight ends, but his route participation isn't strong enough to warrant serious fantasy consideration if Colston Loveland is healthy.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Listed as co-starter entering Year 7
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Kmet is listed as a starting tight end along with Colston Loveland on the Bears' unofficial depth chart heading into the Sept. 13 season opener versus the Panthers.
The Bears make ample use of 12- and 13-personnel groupings that will allow Kmet and Loveland to frequently share the field together, but Loveland remains the clear top receiving option of the two and will be a featured part of the passing game. Kmet, meanwhile, will function primarily as a blocker, though he's not a total non-entity as a receiver. The 27-year-old churned out a career-best 73-719-6 receiving line on 90 targets in 2023, though Kmet's production has fallen off precipitously over the past two seasons. That trend may only continue into 2026 while Loveland preps for a heightened role after he was more of a part-time player for the first half of his rookie campaign.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Low-volume role continues
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Kmet caught two of three targets for 16 yards in the Bears' 19-16 loss to the Lions on Sunday.
Kmet finished the regular season with 30 receptions (on 48 targets) for 347 yards and two touchdowns while catching two or fewer passes in all but three games. He was held under 20 receiving yards nine times and frequently operated as a blocker in two-tight-end sets alongside rookie first-round pick Colston Loveland. Kmet is signed with Chicago through 2027 but projects as a low-ceiling fantasy option if his usage remains unchanged.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Low-volume role persists
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Kmet caught both targets for 16 yards in the Bears' 42-38 loss to the 49ers on Sunday.
Kmet has caught two or three passes in five straight contests, including two targets in this game while operating behind Colston Loveland. After posting between 28 and 45 receiving yards in four of those games, he has been held to 16 yards or fewer in his last two. The limited target volume keeps him confined to deep-league tight end consideration.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Low-volume usage persists
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Kmet caught two passes for 14 yards on three targets in the Bears' 22-16 overtime win over the Packers on Saturday.
Kmet has caught exactly two passes in four straight contests, continuing to operate as the secondary tight end behind Colston Loveland. This marked his first game under 28 receiving yards during that stretch, but the low number of receptions limits his fantasy upside, keeping him confined to deep-league fantasy consideration.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Suiting up in Week 16
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Kmet (ankle/knee) is active for Sunday's game against the Packers.
Kmet opened Week 16 prep with a limited walkthrough Tuesday and limited practice Wednesday due to ankle and knee injuries before progressing to all activity Thursday. He told Scott Bair of Marquee Sports Network after the latter session that he intended to play Saturday, which now will come to pass. Despite handling between 63 and 79 percent of the offensive snaps in each of the last six contests, Kmet has put together just a 14-159-1 line on 18 targets, while rookie TE Colston Loveland has earned similar snap shares but compiled a 22-264-2 line on 29 targets during that stretch.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Questonable for Week 16
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Kmet (ankle/knee) was a full participant in Thursday's practice and is officially listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Packers.
Kmet was limited during Tuesday's walk-through practice and during Wednesday's session, but after logging a full practice Thursday, he said afterward that he plans to play Saturday, per Scott Bair of Marquee Sports Network. That said, official word on Kmet's status may not arrive until the Bears release their inactive list roughly 90 minutes before Saturday's 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff. If he suits up against Green Bay, Kmet will contribute at tight end alongside rookie Colston Loveland.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Limited in practice
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Kmet (ankle) was a limited practice participant Wednesday.
The Bears also listed Kmet as limited after Tuesday's walk-through. He handled his normal role during Sunday's blowout win over Cleveland, playing 72 percent of snaps on offense while catching two of four targets for 28 yards.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Held to two receptions again
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Kmet recorded two receptions on four targets for 28 yards in Sunday's 31-3 win over the Browns.
Kmet finished fourth on the team in targets, notably one behind Colston Loveland. Kmet did manage a long reception of 17 yards, and both of his targets came deep in Cleveland territory. While there are some positives to take away from Kmet's performance, he remains a peripheral part of Chicago's offense.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Usage remains limited
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Kmet caught one pass for three yards on one target in the Bears' 31-28 win over the Steelers on Sunday.
Kmet is coming off a season-high five catches for 45 yards last week, but he has 10 or fewer yards and two or fewer targets in five of his last six games, including one target Sunday. With Colston Loveland taking on the lead receiving tight end role, Kmet profiles as touchdown-dependent tight end depth.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Paces team in receiving in win
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Kmet caught all five of his targets for 45 yards in the Bears' 19-17 win over the Vikings on Sunday.
Kmet dealt with a back issue during the practice week, but it clearly didn't hamper him in Chicago's victory, as the veteran tight end paced the team in catches and receiving yards while finishing tied for second with his five targets. Kmet has just one touchdown on the season and has yet to reach 50 receiving yards in a single contest. He's recorded 16 catches for 192 yards and one score on 28 targets through nine games.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Returns to full participation
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Kmet (back) returned to full practice participation Thursday.
Kmet upgraded to full participation Thursday after being limited by a back injury Wednesday, putting him on track to suit up Sunday against the Vikings. Rookie first-round pick Colston Loveland has overtaken Kmet as the primary option at tight end in Chicago's passing game.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Limited in practice Wednesday
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Kmet (back) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice.
Kmet cleared the concussion protocol in time to suit up for Chicago's comeback win over the Giants in Week 10, but he appears to have sustained a back injury during that contest. If the veteran tight end is able to resume handling full reps Thursday and/or Friday, he'll have a solid chance to avoid carrying an injury designation entirely for Sunday's road matchup against the Vikings. Kmet has drawn two or fewer targets in four consecutive appearances, with most routes for the tight end position instead going the way of rookie Colston Loveland.
Kmet caught one pass for five yards on two targets in the Bears' 24-20 win over the Giants on Sunday.
Kmet has two or fewer targets in six of eight contests this season and has 16 or fewer yards in each of his last four games. His recent usage leaves him as tight end depth who is difficult to start outside of leagues with very thin options.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Avoids injury designation
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Kmet (concussion) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Giants.
Fantasy interest in Kmet himself is perhaps at an all-time low, but his return could have an impact in the form of fewer snaps and routes for rookie Colston Loveland, who put up 118 yards and two TDs at Cincinnati last week. The Bears face another vulnerable defense this Sunday, so Loveland should still have some opportunities even if he cedes some playing time to Kmet.
