Getty Cole Kmet of the Chicago Bears of the Chicago Bears.
Cole Kmet has been with the Chicago Bears since the team drafted him in the second round in 2020.
A team captain and one of the Bears’ most reliable and durable players, Kmet is currently one of the longest-tenured members of the squad. Thus, when he speaks candidly about the offense and its struggles, it’s worth listening to.
The Bears have a new offensive coordinator in Shane Waldron, who had the same role with the Seattle Seahawks, so some growing pains are to be expected. Still, few imagined Chicago would look so inept out of the gate — more on that later.
After Chicago’s 19-13 loss to the Houston Texans Week 2, Kmet was asked about the current struggles of an offense that has managed to score just one touchdown over its first two games.
“It hasn’t been good,” Kmet said, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. “Defense is playing really well. Definitely playing at a level where we should be winning games. That’s a good offense we faced. They did pretty well against them. We’ve got a lot to fix.”
Kmet on Bears’ New Offense: We Need an Identity
Currently 1-1, the Bears have been staying in games due to a top 10 — perhaps even a top 5 — defensive unit. Chicago is currently ranked 8th in total defense (277.0 yards per game) and 6th in scoring defense (18.0 points per game).
On the other side of the ball, however, it’s been an entirely different story. As it stands, the Bears are ranked 31st out of 32 teams in total offense (176.5 yards per game). After averaging 141.1 yards rushing per game last year, which was second in the NFL, they’re netting just 77.5 yards on the ground this season, which is ranked 28th.
Waldron’s scheme has been a tad baffling so far, as it hasn’t featured much of a vertical game at all. Just check out rookie quarterback Caleb Williams‘ passing chart against the Texans:
Caleb Williams Week 2 Passing Chart.
Kmet expounded further on the team’s offensive struggles, and his comments are concerning to say the least.
“It was definitely a little chaotic out there,” Kmet said about the offense. “Just a lot of things we have to work out. (Williams) is taking too many hits. We’ve got to run the ball better. The main thing is establishing an identity on offense, so we’ve got to figure that out. That’s what it comes back to. It will be sort of the challenge this next week and trying to establish that.”
For those who have been following the team for decades, it’s a familiar narrative.
“This #Bears offense has no identity. No guts. It’s just lifeless,” Windy City Gridiron’s Jacob Infante wrote on X. “Wash, rinse, repeat. Same old story of the last 25 years.”
Shane Waldron Hasn’t Used Cole Kmet Much Over 2 Games
Kmet established himself as a top 10 tight end in the NFL last season after finishing with 73 catches on 90 targets for 719 yards and 6 touchdowns. Through two games, he has been targeted just six times in Waldron’s offense. He has 5 catches for 31 yards.
“We know Cole is one of the top tight ends in the league,” Waldron said heading into the team’s Week 2 matchup against Houston. “He does a great job for us. He has done nothing but the right thing ever since I’ve been around him. So, that’s more on us, starting with me, getting the reps a little bit more balance. But it also goes back to playing efficient football.”
For what it’s worth, Waldron did use Kmet more in Game 2:
#Bears OC Shane Waldron did indeed make a change in his tight end usage last night.
* Cole Kmet 54 snaps, 29 routes
* Gerald Everett 25 snaps, 20 routes
It’s far too early to panic for the Bears, but it’s reasonable to be concerned based on the disappointing early results. We’ll see if Waldron can settle in and find his groove as OC. If he doesn’t, we’re going to be in for a long season.
