Cole Kmet

Last updated

Cole Kmet
Cole Kmet visits KMC, hosts youth football camp (A-Roll).png
Kmet in 2023
No. 85 – Chicago Bears
Position: Tight end
Personal information
Born: (1999-03-10) March 10, 1999 (age 24)
Lake Barrington, Illinois, U.S.
Height:6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight:260 lb (118 kg)
Career information
High school: St. Viator (Arlington Heights, Illinois)
College: Notre Dame (2017–2019)
NFL Draft: 2020  / Round: 2 / Pick: 43
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Receptions:211
Receiving yards:2,118
Receiving touchdowns:15
Player stats at NFL.com  ·  PFR

Cole Kmet (born March 10, 1999) is an American football tight end for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame, and was drafted by the Bears in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Contents

Early years

Kmet attended St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois. He played baseball and football in high school. [1] As a senior in football, he had 48 receptions for 773 yards and four touchdowns. Kmet played in the 2017 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. [2] [3] He committed to the University of Notre Dame to play college football. [4]

College career

Football

As a true freshman at Notre Dame in 2017, Kmet played in all 13 games and had two receptions for 14 yards. As a sophomore in 2018, he played in 11 games and had 15 receptions for 162 yards. Kmet took over as the starting tight end his junior year in 2019. [5] He missed the first three games of the season due to a broken collarbone. [6] In November, he announced that he would return to Notre Dame for his senior season rather than enter the 2020 NFL Draft. [7] [8]

On January 2, 2020, Kmet announced he would forgo his senior season at Notre Dame and would enter the 2020 NFL Draft. [9]

College football statistics

YearTeamGamesReceiving
GPGSRecYdsAvgLngTD
2017 Notre Dame 1302147.0110
2018 Notre Dame 1171516210.8240
2019 Notre Dame 11114351512.0376
Career35186069111.5376

Baseball

Kmet also played baseball at Notre Dame. [10] As a freshman in 2018, Kmet appeared in 26 games as a relief pitcher and made one start. He finished the season 2–5 with a 5.05 earned run average (ERA), 39 strikeouts and a team-leading eight saves. [11] As a sophomore in 2019, Kmet appeared in eight games with one start, before suffering an arm injury. [12] He finished the season 0–2 with a 2.89 ERA and 27 strikeouts.

Professional career

Pre-draft

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump
6 ft 5+3⁄4 in
(1.97 m)		262 lb
(119 kg)		33 in
(0.84 m)		10+1⁄2 in
(0.27 m)		4.70 s1.65 s2.77 s4.41 s7.44 s37.0 in
(0.94 m)		10 ft 3 in
(3.12 m)
All values from NFL Combine [13] [14]

Considered a top tight end prospect for the 2020 NFL Draft, CBS Sports ranked him as the best tight end in the draft, while Pro Football Focus ranked him as the second-best. He was projected as a second-round pick. [15] [16]

2020 season

The Chicago Bears selected him in the second round with 43rd overall pick, which was previously acquired from the Las Vegas Raiders along with Khalil Mack as part of the trade that sent two first-round picks (Josh Jacobs and Damon Arnette) to the Raiders. [17] He signed a four-year rookie contract with the team on July 21. [18]

Kmet began his rookie season primarily as a blocker. [19] In Week 2 against the New York Giants, he recorded his first NFL reception with a 12-yard catch, [20] followed by his first touchdown four games later against the Carolina Panthers on a nine-yard score in the 23–16 victory. [21]

2021 season

Kmet appeared in all 17 games for the Bears and caught 60 passes for 612 yards during the 2021 season. [22]

2022 season

Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy was optimistic about Kmet, who did not catch a touchdown pass in 2021. He commented on Kmet's versatility stating, "You talk about a guy that we hope can do a lot of different things. We’ve lined him up wide. We've let him do some routes outside. We've brought him in tight. We've put him in line and made him block the big boys up front too and I think the cool part about him is that he can do all of that stuff really well." [23] During the 2022 season, Kmet recorded 50 receptions for 544 yards and seven touchdowns. [24] He led the Bears in receptions, receiving touchdowns, and receiving yards. [25]

2023 season

On July 26, 2023, Kmet signed a four-year, $50 million contract extension with the Bears. [26] [27]

NFL career statistics

Regular season

YearTeamGamesReceiving
GPGSRecYdsAvgLngTD
2020 CHI 169282438.7382
2021 CHI 17176061210.2250
2022 CHI 17175054410.9507
2023 CHI 1515706789.7536
Career 64572082,0779.75315

Postseason

YearTeamGamesReceiving
GPGSRecYdsAvgLngTD
2020 CHI 113165.390
Career 113165.390

Personal life

Kmet's father Frank Kmet was drafted in 1992 but never played in an NFL game. His uncle Jeff Zgonina played in the NFL. [28]

Related Research Articles

D'Wayne Lavoris Bates is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Bates played three seasons with the Chicago Bears (1999-2001) and two with the Minnesota Vikings (2002-2003). Bates is best known for his achievements as a collegiate player at Northwestern University where he played for Big Ten Championship teams in 1995 and 1996. Bates was a two-time First-team All-Big Ten performer and still holds a majority of the NU season and career receiving records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Fasano</span> American football player (born 1984)

Anthony Joseph Fasano is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame. Fasano also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans, and Miami Dolphins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Olsen (American football)</span> American football player and sportscaster (born 1985)

Gregory Walter Olsen is an American football sportscaster and former tight end who played for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes and was selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. Olsen also played for the Carolina Panthers, with whom he made three Pro Bowls, and became the first tight end in NFL history to record three consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards. Olsen played his final season with the Seattle Seahawks in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Tate</span> American football player (born 1988)

Golden Herman Tate III is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, earning unanimous All-American honors and winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award in 2009. Tate was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He later played for the Detroit Lions, with whom he made a Pro Bowl appearance. He also played a season for the Philadelphia Eagles and two seasons for the New York Giants. After his football career, Tate played baseball as a center fielder for the Port Angeles Lefties of the West Coast League (WCL) in 2022 after not playing the sport since 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony McCoy</span> American football player (born 1987)

Robert Anthony McCoy is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by Seattle in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at USC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Rudolph</span> American football player (born 1989)

Kyle Daniel Rudolph is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was drafted by the Vikings in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He has been selected to two Pro Bowls. He also played for the New York Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Graham</span> American football player (born 1986)

Jimmy Graham is an American football tight end for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played only one year of college football at the University of Miami after playing four years of basketball. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Graham has also been a member of the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyler Eifert</span> American football player (born 1990)

Tyler Gregory Eifert is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, receiving first-team All-American honors and winning the John Mackey Award as the top college tight end in 2012. Eifert was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zach Ertz</span> American football player (born 1990)

Zachary Adam Ertz is an American football tight end for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal, earning unanimous All-American honors in 2012. He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft and later won Super Bowl LII with the team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dion Sims</span> American football player (born 1991)

Dion Sims is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Koyack</span> American football player (born 1993)

Benjamin Koyack is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Jaguars in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MyCole Pruitt</span> American football player (born 1992)

MyCole Pruitt is an American football tight end for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Southern Illinois, where he was a two-time first-team FCS All-American. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round, 143rd overall of the 2015 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Shaheen</span> American football player (born 1994)

Adam Shaheen is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football at Ashland, and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He is the highest draft pick from Ashland in the modern era of the NFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equanimeous St. Brown</span> German-American football player (born 1996)

Equanimeous Tristan Imhotep J. St. Brown is an American football wide receiver for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He is the older brother of Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Durham Smythe is an American football tight end for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Pitts</span> American football player (born 2000)

Kyle Anthony Pitts is an American football tight end for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida, where he was named a unanimous All-American and won the John Mackey Award in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chase Claypool</span> Canadian gridiron football player (born 1998)

Chase Claypool is a Canadian American football wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He also played for the Chicago Bears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Skowronek</span> American football player (born 1997)

Bennett William Skowronek is an American football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Northwestern and Notre Dame, and was drafted by the Rams in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Mayer (American football)</span> American football player (born 2001)

Michael Mayer is an American football tight end for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame, finishing as their all-time receptions leader at tight end with 180.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Tremble</span> American football player (born 2000)

Tommy Tremble is an American football tight end for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame and was drafted by the Panthers in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

References

  1. ↑ Hansen, Eric (June 2, 2017). "Future Notre Dame TE Cole Kmet has double vision on football, baseball". Notre Dame Insider. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  2. ↑ Smith, Cam (October 5, 2016). "Cole Kmet relishes being first U.S. Army All-American from his school". USA TODAY High School Sports. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  3. ↑ "U.S. Army All-American Bowl appearance suits St. Viator's Kmet". Daily Herald. October 5, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  4. ↑ Skrbina, Paul (October 2, 2015). "St. Viator junior tight end commits to Notre Dame". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  5. ↑ Berardino, Mike (October 3, 2019). "Product of a football family, a heartfelt talk brought Notre Dame's Cole Kmet back to the sport". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  6. ↑ James, Tyler (September 26, 2019). "Healthy TE Cole Kmet finally gets chance to live up to hype at Notre Dame". Notre Dame Insider. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  7. ↑ Shepkowski, Nick (November 13, 2019). "Notre Dame Football: Cole Kmet Says He's Staying". Fighting Irish Wire. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  8. ↑ Sinn, Dylan (November 13, 2019). "Cole Kmet, Liam Eichenberg plan to return in 2020". Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  9. ↑ Driskell, Bryan (January 2, 2020). "Tight End Cole Kmet To Declare For The NFL Draft". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  10. ↑ Litman, Laken (May 3, 2018). "Jeff Samardzija's advice to Cole Kmet, the next great dual-sport athlete at Notre Dame". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  11. ↑ Pope, LaMond (August 13, 2018). "Cole Kmet's full focus is back on football after stint with Notre Dame baseball team". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  12. ↑ Karels, Carter (March 25, 2019). "Two-sport athlete Cole Kmet out indefinitely for Notre Dame baseball team". Notre Dame Insider. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Cole Kmet Combine Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  14. ↑ "2020 Draft Scout Cole Kmet, Notre Dame NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  15. ↑ "2020 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Tight ends". CBSSports.com.
  16. ↑ Renner, Michael (April 12, 2020). "2020 NFL Draft Position Rankings: Tight Ends | College Football and NFL Draft". PFF. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  17. ↑ Seligman, Andrew (April 25, 2020). "Bears open draft by taking TE Cole Kmet, CB Jaylon Johnson". Yahoo! Sports . Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 6, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  18. ↑ Mayer, Larry (July 21, 2020). "Bears sign all seven of their 2020 draft picks". Chicago Bears . Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  19. ↑ Chamberlain, Gene (October 16, 2020). "Cole Kmet's Progress Measured by More than Catches". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Kmet hauls in first career catch". Chicago Bears . September 20, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  21. ↑ Finley, Patrick (October 18, 2020). "Bears TE Cole Kmet catches first career TD". Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  22. ↑ Lieser, Jason (August 5, 2022). "Bears need 'rock star' performance from TE Cole Kmet". Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  23. ↑ Shapiro, Alex (August 5, 2022). "Why Bears feel Kmet on brink of breakout season". NBC Sports Chicago. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Cole Kmet 2022 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  25. ↑ Mayer, Larry (August 5, 2022). "Jones continues to produce impact plays in finale / Quick Hits". Chicago Bears. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  26. ↑ Patra, Kevin (July 26, 2023). "Bears TE Cole Kmet agrees to four-year, $50 million contract extension". NFL.com. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  27. ↑ Mayer, Larry (July 26, 2023). "Roster Move: Bears ink Cole Kmet to contract extension". ChicagoBears.com. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  28. ↑ Narang, Bob (January 11, 2020). "St. Viator grad Cole Kmet makes difficult decision to declare for NFL draft". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved January 23, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.