The Bears still have work to do at tight end down the road. But for now, Graham and Kmet are an upgrade over what they had last season and good enough as a pairing to give the Bears what they need.
The Bears haven’t fixed their tight end issue for the long term, but the combination of Cole Kmet and Jimmy Graham has been a substantial upgrade over where they were last season.
They signed Graham hoping to squeeze at least one more decent season out of him and have gotten exactly that with 44 catches, 382 yards and six touchdowns. That might not sound like much, but it makes him something the Bears didn’t have last season: a league-average tight end.
They used their first draft pick on Kmet out of Notre Dame, making him the top selection at his position at No. 43 overall, hoping he’d develop quickly enough to contribute late in the season. They’ve gotten exactly that, too, and Kmet has given them something they didn’t have at the position last season: promise.
Bears coach Matt Nagy paired the two more often in the last three games, and together they’ve delivered 17 catches, 138 yards and two touchdowns. Again, far from overwhelming, but remember that J.P. Holtz led all Bears tight ends with 91 yards receiving for all of last season.
“The way me and him play together, it’s been extremely fun these last few weeks,” Graham said Thursday. “Get the first down and then some — that’s our mentality when we catch the ball underneath.
“Nagy really emphasized the ability to throw the ball under coverage and to make those plays, to put your trust in your players to get that first down instead of just having to throw for it. We took that personal. We’re looking to get up the field, looking to make a play to help us sustain drives.”
The Bears got little of that from their tight end room last season, when six players combined for 46 catches, 421 yards and two touchdowns.
To correct that, the Bears cut Trey Burton and traded Adam Shaheen. Then they picked up Graham on a two-year, $16 million deal and drafted Kmet.
Graham is still a declining player at 34 and his speed isn’t what it was, but his red-zone prowess has been crucial for the Bears. He is 11th in the NFL red-zone receptions (10) and eighth in red-zone touchdown catches (six).
That said, his age could make him a one-year rental. The Bears cut him this offseason for a $3 million dead-cap hit.
If they went that route, they’d either need to bring in another pass-catching tight end or rely on Kmet to be that kind of threat.
Kmet has shown some potential in that area after a slow start. He has 11 catches for 90 yards and a touchdown the last three games after just eight for 94 and a touchdown in the first 11. He might never reach the heights Graham did as a five-time Pro Bowler with the Saints and Seahawks, but he’s more talented than just a blocking specialist.
“Now that Cole has more experience, he knows what he is doing,” Nagy said. “Now it’s like we’re in cruise control where we can just go and play ball, and Jimmy has been the ultimate pro in all of this.”
Like a lot of things with the Bears, the tight end problem isn’t totally solved, but it’s good enough for now.
