Through the first four practices of training camp, it’s been the Chicago Bears offense that has dominated, especially quarterback Caleb Williams and the passing game, which is encouraging heading into 2026.
Tight end Cole Kmet has been part of a lot of training camps with the Bears. But, there is something about this year that feels different yet familiar because he knows what this coaching staff is expecting of him.
“It’s great,” Kmet said. “It’s a different feel to camp than maybe in years past. I’ve spent a lot of my career wondering what’s next and how tomorrow’s going to go. I feel like I kind of know what to expect at this point, especially with this staff and what they want to get done, what they expect from each individual.”
This year is the second season under head coach Ben Johnson. Training camp provides the perfect opportunity for Johnson to implement his offense and for Kmet to find where he fits into this offense. Overall, Kmet thought the first four days were productive and is looking forward to getting the pads on.
“So, it’s nice coming in, getting ready for a season, understanding how you fit in the scheme of things and also the direction of this offense and where you want to go and the identity that we want to forge,” Kmet said. “It’s been a good first four days for us. It’s felt good coming in and being operationally pretty sound. Next week will be big for us with pads coming on. So that will be the next step.”
Kmet was a key part of the offense last season despite not putting up the numbers he has in years past. Last year, he totaled just 30 receptions for 347 yards, his lowest in both of those categories since his rookie year in 2020. However, Kmet was still on the field for 70 percent of Chicago’s offensive snaps last season and had that critical touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs to send the game to overtime.
Johnson’s offensive scheme frequently utilizes multiple tight ends, so Kmet will continue to be an essential piece of this offense throughout the 2026 season.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Cole Kmet sounds off ‘different feel’ of this Bears training camp
Reporting by Ariana Pensy, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ariana Pensy, Bears Wire | USA TODAY Network
