Twenty-five years of Chicago Bears football are in the books since the turn of the century. Since the calendar turned over to 2000, the Bears have seen some success, but also plenty of woeful stretches. Early on, Chicago became a defensive force, claiming four division titles and reaching only their second Super Bowl in franchise history from 2000 to 2010. Since then, however, a 14-year playoff victory drought that is still ongoing and a one-sided fight with their rival Green Bay Packers have taken the spotlight.
For all the ups and downs the Bears have seen, however, they had plenty of talent over the years across offense and defense. Multiple former Bears players are already in the Hall of Fame, while many more provided years of incredible play in the navy and orange.
Advertisement
Here at Bears Wire, we’re celebrating the best Bears players at each position over the last 25 years. We’re going position by position to name the Bears’ All-Quarter Century Team for those who played from 2000 through 2024. Up next are tight ends, a position that has featured some productive players in the passing game.
Cole Kmet
258 receptions, 2,592 yards, 19 touchdowns
Oct 5, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet (85) celebrates after catching a touchdown pass against the Washington Commanders during the second quarter at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: IMAGN-710566 ORIG FILE ID: 20231005_gkb_sb4_029.JPG
Following the disaster that was Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen at tight end, the Bears made a move to land a playmaker in Cole Kmet in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Following a modest rookie season, where he played second fiddle to veteran Jimmy Graham, Kmet has quietly been one of the best tight ends that Chicago’s had this century. He boasts the second-best numbers among Bears tight ends this century with 2,592 receiving yards — second to only Desmond Clark, who had 2,639 receiving yards in eight seasons compared to Kmet’s numbers through five years.
Advertisement
Despite Chicago’s struggling offenses, Kmet has proven to be a security blanket for quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Justin Fields with his best season coming in 2023, where he logged career highs with 73 receptions and 719 yards along with six touchdowns. Kmet earned a well-deserved, four-year, $50 million contract extension before the 2023 season, keeping him in Chicago through 2027. But there are questions about his future after the Bears drafted Colston Loveland with the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. While new head coach Ben Johnson uses a lot of 12 personnel, if Loveland becomes the primary target, can Chicago justify Kmet’s hefty price tag?
Greg Olsen
194 receptions, 1,981 yards, 20 touchdowns
Jan 16, 2011; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Greg Olsen (82) after the 2011 NFC divisional playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
There are plenty of “what if” scenarios that haunt the Bears fan base, and that includes the “what if Greg Olsen had never been traded away from Chicago?” Olsen was a great talent and playmaker for the Bears, and he was just scratching the surface of his potential. In his second season, Olsen led the Bears in receptions (54) and touchdowns (5) and finished second in receiving yards (574) behind Devin Hester. In just 62 games with the Bears, Olsen finished second in receiving touchdowns and sixth in receptions and receiving yards. Olsen’s stock trended up following the acquisition of quarterback Jay Cutler via trade in 2009. Olsen quickly developed a connection with his new QB, and the pair connected for 60 catches for 612 yards and eight touchdowns.
Advertisement
Olsen showed great promise in just his first few years — as evidenced by his performance in a 2011 divisional round playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks (three catches, 113 yards, two touchdowns) — but he never got the chance to live up to his potential…at least in Chicago. The Bears fumbled hard when they elected to trade the former first rounder to the Carolina Panthers because Martz didn’t believe Olsen fit his offensive scheme. In a karmic twist of fate, Olsen went on to become one of the NFL’s best tight ends, where he was a three-time Pro Bowler (2014, 2015, 2016) and two-time Second-Team All-Pro (2015, 2016) during his time with Carolina.
Honorable mention: Martellus Bennett
Bears All-Quarter Century Team
6/23: Tight ends
6/24: Offensive line
6/24: Defensive tackles
6/25: Defensive ends
6/25: Linebackers
6/26: Cornerbacks
6/26: Safeties
6/27: Specialists
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears All-Quarter Century Team: Tight ends