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Will Cole Kmet lose snaps to rookie Colston Loveland after disastrous Week 4 game?

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Pete Martuneac | Last updated Sep 29, 2025 12:58 PM ET

The Chicago Bears didn't exactly cover themselves in glory in their miraculous win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4, but certain players had a worse game than the rest of the team. D'Andre Swift was chief among the Bears' duds in that game, but another offensive starter had a frighteningly bad performance at the worst possible time: tight end Cole Kmet.

Ever since being drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft, Kmet has shown significant growth. From a meager 243 yards in his rookie year to his breakout 2023 season of 719 yards and 6 touchdowns, he evolved from a plodding rookie to an elite redzone weapon. Since then, however, it's been mostly downhill for Kmet, mostly due to Chicago's accumulation of weapons for quarterback Caleb Williams. Rome Odunze comes to mind, as he may have already surpassed DJ Moore to be WR1 in Chicago.

Be that as it may, Kmet has not been popular among a Bears fanbase that sees all three division rivals flourishing with dynamic, electric tight ends. The feeling that Kmet had no place on this roster only increased when the Bears drafted Colston Loveland with the tenth overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Now he's coming off arguably his worst game as a pro with a couple of brutal drops, including one in the red zone that could have set up a touchdown, and a backbreaking penalty on 4th-and-short.

Absolutely brutal drop by Bears TE Cole Kmet
pic.twitter.com/F8LOlUdsrG
— Bearsszn (@bearssznn) September 28, 2025

The Bears are officially on their bye week after that Week 4 win over the Raiders, and a bye week is the best opportunity for NFL teams looking to make a big change. If Loveland is healthy going forward (he missed Week 4 with a hip injury he sustained against the Dallas Cowboys), does Ben Johnson start giving him a sizable chunk of Kmet's snaps?

I think it's too early to commit to Loveland as the Bears' starting tight end. Rookie tight ends typically have a steep learning curve and we just haven't seen much from Loveland besides one exciting reception from Week 3. He could be better than Kmet, but probably not at this point in their careers.

Kmet had a bad game, there's no denying that. But he's been the model of reliability for a young quarterback for the last three years and doesn't get enough credit for that. He is typically solid when blocking and has surer hands than anyone else on the roster. I'm confident that he'll bounce back in Week 6, and I think Ben Johnson would agree.

Loveland's time will come, but not yet.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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