(670 The Score) Throughout the course of the Bears' rebuilding season in 2022, general manager Ryan Poles searched for building blocks on the team. He found one in tight end Cole Kmet, who made a strong impression in his third NFL season.
“I thought Cole did a really good job,” Poles said earlier in January. “I thought he elevated his game from the film that I watched last year to what it was this year, so that’s exciting. I mean, that’s one that comes to mind right now.”
Kmet had a breakout season, hauling in 50 receptions for 544 yards and seven touchdowns over a full 17 games.
A second-round pick of the Bears in the 2020 NFL Draft, Kmet had two touchdowns as a rookie and none the following season. With offensive instability around him, Kmet wasn’t a priority in the Bears’ plans in his first two seasons.
In 2022, the 23-year-old Kmet became a key target for quarterback Justin Fields in the Bears’ offense, particularly in the red zone. Kmet and Fields trained together this past offseason and plan to do so again in the coming months before the Bears report back to Halas Hall.
Kmet was the Bears’ leading receiver in 2022 and also emerged as a key blocker for the league’s top rushing offense. He played 94% of the team’s offensive snaps.
At the end of the season, Kmet expressed pride in the progress he had made.
“When I look at like myself on tape, just like the steps I’ve been taking in the run game, pass game, all those things,” Kmet said. “My focus every week has been just getting a little bit better at something each and every day. And when you do that and you’re able to stack days like that, you look back to Week 1 and you look back to OTAs, you can really see those steps and how you’ve grown throughout the course of the season.”
Kmet has made himself a strong candidate for a contract extension this offseason. He's set to become an unrestricted free agent a year from now, but the Bears will likely begin working toward a new deal for him in the coming months.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
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