There were a lot of puzzling developments from the Chicago Bears’ regular season opener on the offensive side. For one, they held a rotation at right guard between Nate Davis and Ryan Bates. That seems reckless against a talented Tennessee Titans front. Yet easily the most baffling decision by offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was his usage of Cole Kmet. Here, you have a top-10 tight end in the NFL, and somehow, you give more snaps to Gerald Everett (34) than him (27). Kmet only had one catch for four yards.
Many Bears fans were upset about the decision, wondering if Waldron was favoring Everett because of their history together in Los Angeles and Seattle. One thing is certain. Kmet wasn’t happy about it. He spoke with Adam Hoge on The Eighty Five podcast about the situation. The tight end was careful with his words so as not to cause a ruckus, but it was plainly evident he felt he should’ve gotten more opportunities in that game. His production from last year alone justified it.
The Bears just got done making him one of the highest-paid tight ends in the league. Both GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus have indicated he is a big part of the offense. So for him to only be targeted once in a game where the offense struggled must’ve felt frustrating. Kudos to him for not throwing anybody under the bus. He stayed professional with his comments, stating you have to stay unselfish if the team is going to have success. That said, he’s still a competitor.
Cole Kmet has said he knows his time in the NFL won’t last forever. Depending on his health, he probably has 4-6 more good years left. Nobody wants to spend that time as a part-time player mainly used for blocking, not when he knows he can be a legitimate weapon in the passing game. It will be interesting to see what happens on Sunday night in Houston. If Kmet again doesn’t get much action in the passing game, it will be time to start questioning what exactly Waldron is doing.
