Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet will miss the rest of the season after suffering a serious right knee injury during the team's win over the New England Patriots, head coach Ben Johnson confirmed Friday.
Kmet, 27, was injured late in the fourth quarter after catching a pass. Johnson said Kmet is out for the season but did not provide any details about the specific nature of the knee injury.
The loss is a significant one for the Bears. Kmet, currently in his seventh season with the team, is the longest-tenured player on the roster. Among Bears tight ends, he ranks behind only Mike Ditka in pass receptions and receiving yards.
Kmet also has deep ties to the Chicago area. He grew up in the northwest suburbs and attended St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights.
Dave Archibald, Kmet's high school football coach at St. Viator, expressed support for the tight end and his family.
"I feel for Cole and for Emily, his wife, and family, and obviously for the city of Chicago that loves him and loves how he represents our city, the team, the McCaskey family, the Bears organization," Archibald said.
Archibald also said he believes Kmet will handle the setback in the same manner he has approached previous challenges throughout his football career.
"But the flip side, too, I think Cole is a professional, and he's faced adversity at different times in his athletic career, whether that was high school or Notre Dame, and now I think we'll see him go through it with that same professionalism," Archibald said.
Despite Kmet's absence, the Bears have other options at tight end. Colston Loveland is expected to take on a larger role, while rookie Sam Roush will likely see increased playing time.
Johnson said nothing changes with the team's playbook because of Kmet's injury.
The Bears improved to 5-2 with the victory over the Patriots and will look to maintain that momentum as they move forward without one of their longest-serving players.
