Bears Confirm Kmet Will Miss the Season

Chicago placed tight end Cole Kmet on Reserve/Injured on Friday, October 23, 2026 [1]. Head coach Ben Johnson confirmed that Kmet will miss the remainder of the season due to a knee injury sustained midway through the fourth quarter on Thursday, October 22, against the New England Patriots [2]. Independent reporting corroborated that testing on Kmet's right knee finalized the season ending designation [3]. The official roster move and the head coach's confirmation establish the timeline of the absence, without any stated medical diagnosis or procedure details [1] [2] [3]. Official Transaction and Season Status The roster move removes Kmet from Chicago's active roster following the team's 30 to 24 win over New England, which moved Chicago to 5 to 2 [2]. The Bears transaction notice lists Kmet on Reserve/Injured without providing a recovery period or specific medical diagnosis [1]. Johnson confirmed the season ending status in his Friday press briefing [2]. ESPN's corroborating report noted that testing determined Kmet would not return this season [3]. Across his seven NFL seasons through this report, Kmet had missed only one game, establishing a durable baseline prior to Thursday's right knee injury [3]. Selected in the second round of the 2020 draft out of Notre Dame, Kmet entered this week as the longest tenured Bear and a Chicago area native [2]. Johnson highlighted his locker room presence, stating, "He's everything we want to be about here" [2]. Offensive Role and Production Context Kmet caught three passes for 28 yards on Thursday before exiting [2]. That performance pushed his career total to 3,026 receiving yards, joining Mike Ditka as the only Chicago tight ends to surpass 3,000 career receiving yards [2]. Over seven games this season, Kmet recorded 10 receptions for 87 yards and one touchdown [3]. While his season receiving numbers remained modest, his field presence represented a substantial share of Chicago's offense. Kmet logged a 62.19% offensive snap share this season, reflecting the proportion of Chicago's total offensive snaps he played rather than a specific measure of routes run, targets earned, or blocking frequency [3]. His career receiving milestone and season snap share describe different parts of his contribution. The milestone is a cumulative receiving total. The snap share is participation in this season's offense. A catch total cannot show every assignment a tight end handled, and the snap percentage cannot tell us how often those snaps involved routes. Neither figure should be relabeled as a target share. [2] [3] Stated Offensive Direction and Personnel Options Johnson addressed how Chicago plans to manage the position going forward, outlining the coaching staff's approach without designating an unannounced starting role [2] [3]. Johnson stated: "We trained all our tight ends to be able to do all the jobs. I don't see us really changing who we are or what we do as a result of that" [3]. This statement reflects coaching intention rather than an announced snap distribution or measured future production [3]. Johnson spoke about multiple pass catchers making plays rather than naming a direct one for one replacement [2]. Colston Loveland recorded a season high seven catches for 69 yards on Thursday [2]. Reporting also identified rookie Sam Roush among the options on the roster [3]. The reports identify personnel options but do not assign a future share of snaps or targets to either player. Loveland's seven catches and 69 yards describe Thursday's completed game. They are not a published allocation for the next one. Johnson's comment that every tight end trains for every job is useful context, but it does not specify which player will handle each assignment after Kmet's absence. [2] [3] SBA Takeaway Bettors evaluating Chicago should separate the confirmed loss of Kmet from assumptions about replacement roles. Kmet handled 62.19% of Chicago's offensive snaps this season, but that figure measures field time rather than measured route volume or target distribution [3]. Johnson stated that Chicago intends to keep its scheme consistent across multiple tight ends [3]. The useful next evidence is actual participation and an announced assignment. A depth chart alone is not a target projection. Keep the season ending Kmet news separate from any assumption that one teammate inherits all of his work. Sources - [1] Bears: Cole Kmet placed on Reserve/Injured - [2] Bears: Ben Johnson confirms Kmet's season ending injury - [3] ESPN: Bears TE Cole Kmet out for season Related Reading - Jalen Hurts Medical Status: Contact Restriction and Reported Timeline - Jackson Ruled Out for Browns as Huntley Starts Again - Harrison Trade Is Official. His Houston Role Is Not.