Kmet said Thursday on media row before Super Bowl LVIII that he sustained a broken right forearm in the Bears' Week 18 loss at Green Bay, Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Kmet was donning a brace due to the hit he took at the end of a 27-yard catch in the season finale, which caused him to sit out most of the fourth quarter. The timing of the injury likely allowed the 2020 second-round pick to keep his games played streak (67 of 67) to begin his career intact, and his career-high 73 catches (seventh among tight ends) translated to 719 yards (ninth) and six touchdowns (tied for second). Kmet expects to gain medical clearance in the near future, meaning it won't impact his work in the offseason.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Misses most of fourth quarter
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Kmet (forearm) didn't return to Sunday's 17-9 loss at Green Bay, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports.
Kmet took a big hit on a 27-yard catch in the fourth quarter, and while quarterback Justin Fields threw an incompletion his way three plays later, the tight end was ruled out before the end of the contest. With three catches (on four targets) for 41 yards Week 18, Kmet ended the 2023 campaign with a serviceable 73-719-6 line on 90 targets in 17 games. As the 2020 second-round pick heads into the first year of his four-year, $50 million extension that he signed back in July, his status as an iron man remains intact, as he's played in 67 of a possible 67 games to start his career.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Active as expected Week 18
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Kmet (knee) is active for Sunday's game against the Packers.
Early Sunday reports indicated Kmet was strongly trending toward active status, and that's now been made official. Kmet was also in uniform in Week 17 against the Falcons and on the field for 13 snaps, but he theoretically stands to have a better chance at a normal workload Sunday after managing to practice in full Friday. Robert Tonyan, Kmet's backup, could still see a slightly elevated snap count against his old Packers squad if Kmet is limited in any way.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Likely to suit up
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Kmet (knee) is listed as questionable but is expected to be available for Sunday's game against the Packers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Kmet should be formally cleared when Chicago releases its inactive list 90 minutes prior to the 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff. Though Kmet looks poised to play through the knee injury for the second week in a row, it's unclear how much larger of a role he'll be able to handle Sunday after he was limited to just 13 snaps on offense in the Bears' 37-17 win over Atlanta in Week 17. The tight end at least appeared to be healthier in practice this week, as he turned in a limited practice Thursday before upgrading to full activity Friday.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Limited in return to practice
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Kmet (knee) practiced on a limited basis Thursday.
Kmet is a step ahead of last week's practice regimen as he tends to a knee issue, putting in a limited session one day earlier this time around. Still, he entered last weekend listed as questionable for this past Sunday's game against the Falcons, for which he was active but blanked in the box score. It remains to be seen if Kmet has a designation ahead of this Sunday's contest at Green Bay, something that will be revealed on Friday's injury report.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Not practicing Wednesday
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Kmet (knee) won't practice Wednesday, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.
While head coach Matt Eberflus said "it's looking positive" for Kmet's chances of being available for Sunday's game against the Packers, the tight end will get some maintenance as the Bears begin Week 18 prep. Despite being listed as questionable with the same injury ahead of the Bears' Week 17 win over the Falcons, Kmet was cleared to play but was limited in the contest, as he failed to draw a target while logging a season-low 13 snaps on offense.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: No targets in Week 17
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Kmet wasn't targeted on 13 offensive snaps during Sunday's 37-17 victory against the Falcons, Mike Clay of ESPN.com reports.
Kmet was contained to one limited practice during Week 17 prep due to a knee injury that he sustained last Sunday against the Cardinals. While he was deemed questionable for this Sunday's contest, he was able to suit up, but he mostly was used as a run blocker, as Clay noted eight of Kmet's snaps occurred on runs. Robert Tonyan was the only Bears tight end to be targeted, as he hauled in three of four passes for 40 yards. Kmet's health may dictate how much Chicago is willing to put on his plate, so his activity level in the coming days will be key to determining if he'll be involved in the passing game Week 18 at Green Bay.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Cleared to suit up
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Kmet (knee) is active for Sunday's matchup against the Falcons.
Kmet caught four passes for a season-high 107 yards in the first half of last week's matchup versus the Cardinals but was forced out of the game due to a knee injury. His injury was described as soreness, and he didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday but returned Friday as a limited participant. The 2020 second-round pick has officially been cleared to extend his streak of consecutive games played to 66, but Kmet's snaps may be limited to avoid a potential setback. On the other hand, Darnell Mooney (concussion) isn't available, so Chicago may need everything they can get out of Kmet, who'll likely be Justin Fields' second-favorite target behind DJ Moore on Sunday.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Questionable after practice return
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Kmet (knee) returned to practice Friday as a limited participant and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Falcons, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Kmet was unable to return to last week's win over the Cardinals after suffering a knee injury and didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday, but he now seems to have at least some shot to extend his streak of 65 consecutive games played. He's been the No. 2 option in Chicago's passing game all year, and the No. 3 pass catcher (wideout Darnell Mooney) has been ruled out for Sunday's contest due to a concussion. An absence for Kmet likely would open up more snaps and routes for Robert Tonyan, with other potential beneficiaries in terms of targets including wideouts Tyler Scott and Equanimeous St. Brown.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Doesn't practice Thursday
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Kmet (knee) was a non-participant at Thursday's practice.
Kmet departed in the middle of this past Sunday's win against the Cardinals due to a knee injury that so far has kept him off the practice field during Week 17 prep. He'll thus have just one more opportunity this week to mix into drills before the Bears potentially make a call on his availability ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Falcons. An absence from Kmet would result in more snaps for fellow tight ends Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: No practice Wednesday
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Kmet (knee) won't practice Wednesday, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.
Kmet is dealing with a knee injury sustained during the Bears' 27-16 win over the Cardinals on Sunday, when he secured four of five targets for 107 yards despite playing just 43 percent of offensive snaps before departing. With Darnell Mooney (concussion) also absent Wednesday, Chicago becomes thin in terms of pass catchers behind DJ Moore. Kmet will have two more chances to get on the practice field ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Falcons.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Leaves with knee injury
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Kmet injured his knee in Sunday's game against the Cardinals and is questionable to return.
Kmet racked up four receptions and 107 yards in the first half of Sunday's contest, but he also picked up an injury somewhere along the way, and it remains to be seen if he will return to the game.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Suiting up Sunday
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Kmet (quadriceps) is active for Sunday's game against the Cardinals.
The Bears tacked Kmet on to their Week 16 injury report Thursday as limited due to a quadriceps injury, and he maintained that activity level Friday before entering the weekend as questionable. Now that he's confirmed as active, he'll extend his streak to 65 straight appearances to begin his career. Since Justin Fields returned to action Week 11 following a four-game absence due to a dislocated right thumb, Kmet has gathered in 20 of 24 targets for 152 yards and one touchdown over the last four contests.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Questionable to face Cardinals
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Kmet (quadriceps) remained limited at Friday's practice and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cardinals.
Kmet was added to the injury report Thursday as a limited participant, marking his first listing of any kind since the first week of November. His ability to practice in any capacity Friday suggests the quad injury isn't serious, though the timing might still be a problem when it comes to his availability/contributions this Sunday. The Bears and Cardinals are scheduled for a late-afternoon kickoff Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET, with Robert Tonyan set up to get most of the routes and targets and tight end if Kmet is inactive.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Limited due to quad injury
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Kmet was a limited participant in Thursday's practice due to a quadricep injury.
Kmet wasn't listed Wednesday on the Bears' initial Week 16 injury report, so his limited participation Thursday could be indicative of a setback that occurred during practice. If Kmet is able to get back on the field in some capacity Friday, it would alleviate some of the concern about his status heading into Sunday's game against Arizona.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Finds end zone in Week 15 loss
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Kmet caught five of seven targets for 23 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Browns.
The fourth-year tight end was on the other end of Justin Fields' only TD pass of the day, a five-yard toss in the first quarter. Kmet wound up leading the Bears in catches despite his modest yardage, and he's already put together a career-best campaign with 66 catches and 571 receiving yards through 14 games. He'll look to keep building on those numbers in Week 16 against the Cardinals.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Seven targets in victory
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Kmet caught five passes on seven targets for 66 yards in the Bears' 28-13 win over the Lions on Sunday.
Kmet took advantage of a coverage bust by the Lions on a 41-yard catch and run. Otherwise, he gave Justin Fields a solid possession receiver and complement to top receiver DJ Moore. Kmet has found the end zone in only one of his last seven games, though he's posted at least 43 yards in four of his last five games. He'll remain a weekly floor play capable of going on a touchdown streak at any time.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: TEs to Start
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Kmet struggled in Week 11 against the Lions with just three catches for 20 yards on four targets, but he should do better in the rematch. Kmet is coming off a good game in Week 12 at Minnesota with seven catches for 43 yards on seven targets, and he's now scored at least 11.3 PPR points in three of his past five games. Prior to Week 11, Kmet had scored at least 10.7 PPR points in three games in a row against Detroit.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Boosts catch total in win
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Kmet brought in all seven targets for 43 yards in the Bears' 12-10 win over the Vikings on Monday.
Kmet was second in receptions, receiving yards and targets for the Bears on the night, although he only averaged 6.1 yards per catch. Nevertheless, it was a nice resurgence for the fourth-year pro after he'd underwhelmed with a 3-20-0 line Week 11 against the Lions, and with 56 receptions for 482 yards heading into a Week 13 bye, Kmet is within striking distance of the career-best 60-612 line he put up back in 2021.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Disappointing production in defeat
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Kmet caught three passes on four targets for 20 yards in the Bears' 31-26 loss to the Lions on Sunday.
Kmet had recorded at least 45 yards in each of his prior three games. However, that production occurred when Tyson Bagent was the starting quarterback. Despite the unimpressive fantasy performance, Kmet should rebound soon, as he posted at least 38 yards in four of his first five games he played with Justin Fields earlier in the season.
