Cole Kmet isn't backing down in competition with Bears' 1st-round pick Colston Loveland

Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet was on top of the football world just two years ago when he signed a massive four-year, $50 million contract extension. It was the kind of deal that would usually cement a player's role as a short- and long-term fixture of a franchise.

Then came the 2025 NFL Draft. The Bears spent the 10th overall pick on former Michican star Colston Loveland, a tight end who's viewed as the kind of chess piece mismatch that can make Ben Johnson's offense go.

But just because Chicago invested a top-10 pick in a tight end doesn't mean Kmet has surrendered his role as the TE1 on the roster.

Not even close.

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

"I think there's naturally areas where we're going to compete with one another just because we're in the same position and we're both pass catchers," Kmet said at training camp this week. "I always feel like despite if you're a tight end, running back, or wide receiver, we're all competing with one another for certain roles within the offense. Nowadays they can put you anywhere and so long as you can show the coaches that you can handle certain things, they're going to put you all over the field."

Kmet, the consummate pro, is spot on. And it's especially true for the 2025 Bears offense, which, conveniently, should feature two tight ends.

"There's aspects of practice that's competition and then there's aspects where I think that we're going to be able to complement each other's game really well," Kmet continued. "I’m looking forward to see how that pans out, I’m looking forward to the competition, and I think it's going to make both of us a lot better. But then, when it comes to the season, it'll be fun to see how we complement one another on the football field."

Indeed, it's likely Kmet will give way to Loveland as the primary pass-catching tight end once the rookie gets his NFL legs under him. But don't get it twisted: Cole Kmet will be a critically important player in Johnson's offense, even if his box score at the end of the season suggests otherwise.