After a sluggish start to the season, Ben Johnson’s Chicago Bears caught fire and never looked back. They swapped a 2-game losing streak for a 4-game winning streak heading into Week 8 against the Baltimore Ravens. There are some questions surrounding the Bears’ injury report.
And they’ll need as much firepower as possible if they are to beat John Harbaugh’s Ravens, especially if quarterback Lamar Jackson is healthy for the contest. With their winning streak on the line, let’s explore Chicago tight end Cole Kmet’s injury status for the matchup. His presence should carry some weight in a game that could turn into a shootout.
Will Cole Kmet Play in Week 8?
Following a previous groin injury, Kmet resurfaced on the injury report after the Bears’ win over the New Orleans Saints last week. He left the game with a back issue and never returned, with his availability for this weekend still a mystery. He didn’t practice on Wednesday and Thursday, and is being listed as questionable ahead of the weekend.
Kmet has been putting up consistent numbers in conservative measures this season, sharing the tight end workload with Colston Loveland at times. Heading into Week 8, Kmet is the 47th-ranked tight end in the league based on PFSN’s Tight End Impact metric, while Loveland is ranked 43rd.
The 6th-year star out of Notre Dame started his campaign with 31 receiving yards against the Minnesota Vikings, and it took him three more games to top that versus the Las Vegas Raiders, with 46 yards. However, the single touchdown catch he’s made so far came a week earlier, when the Bears beat the brakes off the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3, 31-14.
His overall production has resembled that of typical tight ends across the league, given how teams’ game-to-game scheming largely impacts tight ends’ numbers, barring an elite few.
If Kmet misses their upcoming game, Loveland will likely take on a 3-down role with Durham Smythe in a complementary position.
However, the Bears’ general game plan could lean more in the direction of D’Andre Swift and Rome Odunze.
Swift has been the clear lead back in Chicago, having recorded back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances in the last two games. While his groin issue is worth monitoring, there’s optimism that he’ll be ready for Sunday’s game in Baltimore.
Odunze, on the other hand, has made the receiving room his own thanks to the injury concerns of DJ Moore. The likes of Olamide Zaccheaus and Luther Burden III have made valuable contributions, but Odunze remains the guy that defenses plan for behind Swift and quarterback Caleb Williams.
