Bears’ Cole Kmet replacement earns Ben Johnson endorsement

The Chicago Bears were dealt a brutal blow when tight end Cole Kmet suffered a season-ending knee injury. Now, the franchise is expecting rookie third-round pick Sam Roush to pick up the slack.

Roush has made some clear errors to begin his NFL tenure, whether it be dropped passes or special teams miscues. Still, the Bears took the tight end in the third-round for a reason. Head coach Ben Johnson has been meticulous over every offensive addition.

While he may have potential, actually replacing Kmet is no easy task. For starters, he is the longest tenured member of the Bears and a true leader for the franchise. On the field, Kmet is tasked with both being a suffocating blocker and readily able pass catcher.

Roush will now have his work cut out for him. But Johnson believes in the third-round tight end.

Chicago Bears counting on Sam Roush

Johnson didn’t shy away from Roush’s mistakes as a rookie. But what has impressed him more is how the tight end has battled back. The head coach has watched the pass catcher diligently work to improve all aspects of his game. That mentality is why Johnson is so confident in Roush’s ability to step up, Bears senior writer Larry Mayer.

“We’ve been very pleased with the improvement that [Roush] has made over these first seven weeks, and so there’s a high likelihood that his rep count is going to go up as a result of what’s going on here,” Johnson said.

“We’ll be able to see the player that we drafted. We had high hopes when we took him,” he continued. “Very smart player. He had some rookie hiccups early in the season like everybody does, and yet he learns. He doesn’t make the same mistake twice, and I’m confident in what he’s going to be able to do for us here the back half of the season.”

Through his first seven weeks in the NFL, Roush has caught just three passes for 33 scoreless yards. Between Kmet’s injury and Johnson’s vote of confidence, the rookie should expect those numbers to increase. But only if he can handle the heat.