30 Most Important Bears of 2025: Cole Kmet (No. 18)

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for an exciting 2025 NFL season, which features some new faces within the organization poised to get the franchise back to its winning ways. That starts with the hiring of Ben Johnson as head coach, as well as overhauling the interior offensive line, adding pieces on defense and a potenital impactful rookie draft class.

Every day from now right up through training camp, we’re counting down our 30 Most Important Bears for the 2025 season. We’ll recap their 2024 season, look ahead to 2025 and tackle the biggest question facing them this year.

At No. 18 is Cole Kmet, the longest-tenured offensive player who should still play an important role—even with the addition of Colston Loveland.

Background

Position: Tight end

Age: 26

Experience: 6th season

2025 cap hit: $11.6 million

2024 recap

Kmet wasn’t able to replicate the success he saw in 2023, in part due to the added players at receiver, such as Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze. The former second-round pick caught 47 passes for 474 yards and four touchdowns while playing in all 17 games, a significant reduction from his totals a year prior. While he had some productive weeks, such as his 10-catch day against the Indianapolis Colts and two-touchdown day overseas against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Kmet was more often than not a distant fourth option in the passing attack. There were eight games where he saw two targets or fewer. Kmet’s usage was puzzling last year since he rarely was a focal point in the passing attack despite the fact he was catching 85% of the targets thrown his way.

Most Important Bears of 2025: Cole Kmet

2025 outlook

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone else on the Bears whose 2025 outlook changed as drastically as Kmet’s following the draft. The Bears opted to select Michigan tight end Colston Loveland with their first-round pick, which immediately raised questions regarding Kmet’s status. While the addition of Loveland will create some intriguing problems later on, Kmet is still going to be a productive player on offense. It takes time for rookie tight ends to develop, and Loveland is already playing catch-up due to being out with his offseason shoulder injury. While the Bears will deploy both tight ends in various packages, it’s very possible Kmet outproduces Loveland in 2025.

Big question: How long will Kmet remain a Bear?

We already know Kmet isn’t going anywhere this season, barring a massive surprise. He’s valuable to what the team wants to do offensively. But what about in 2026? Kmet will be out of guaranteed money from the contract extension he signed prior to the 2023 season, which the Bears can save $8.4 million on by cutting him next year, and Loveland will have had a full year to adjust to the NFL. The Bears didn’t invest a top-10 pick in Loveland just to see him split time with Kmet his entire career. It’s very possible Kmet is entering his final season in Chicago, despite being just 26 years old and never missing a game. Decisions will have to be made sooner rather than later regarding Kmet’s future.

30 Most Important Bears of 2025

#30 – RB Roschon Johnson

#29 – QB Case Keenum

#28 – K Cairo Santos

#27 – DT Andrew Billings

#26 – CB Tyrique Stevenson

#25 – WR Luther Burden III

#24 – RG Jonah Jackson

#23 – LB Tremaine Edmunds

#22 – DE Dayo Odeyingbo

#21 – S Kevin Byard

#20 – S Jaquan Brisker