The Chicago Bears’ decision to invest in veteran tight end Jimmy Graham in free agency has paid off so far in 2020. Sort of.
The former All-Pro has proved to be a reliable red-zone weapon and still has enough box-out ability to be an effective receiver in the intermediate passing game. Graham has 22 catches for 203 yards and four touchdowns through six games and has registered multiple-catch games in every week but one this season.
The reality for Graham, however, is that he’s a bridge player in Chicago. It’s only a matter of time before second-round rookie Cole Kmet becomes the Bears’ primary tight end, and while it’s unlikely Kmet will rise to TE1 in 2020, his playing time should increase as the year marches on.
In fact, Kmet represented the Bears on a recent list of players who deserve more playing time.
Some balked at the Chicago Bears signing tight end Jimmy Graham to a two-year, $16 million free-agent contract this offseason, and rightly so.
Graham hasn’t been the same explosive target he once was for years now. While he’s been a solid option for Chicago this fall, he averages only 9.2 yards per catch.
The Bears doubled down at the position by making Cole Kmet the highest-drafted tight end in the 2020 class, and he’s performed like a starting-caliber option.
“One thing I think is pretty obvious on Bears film…it’s time for Cole Kmet to be the starter,” former Bears center and current NBC Sports Chicago contributor Olin Kreutz tweeted.
Kreutz’s take on Kmet deserving to be the starter is a bit aggressive but it’s not insane. At some point, the Bears’ passing game will need the kind of upgrade in juice that Kmet provides over Graham — at least between the 20s — while maximizing Graham’s role in the red zone as a jump-ball specialist.
It’s important to keep things in perspective, though. Kmet has just three catches for 32 yards and one touchdown this year. He’s had some really good moments in the running game as an effective blocker, but he’s more projection than production at this point.
Does Kmet deserve more playing time? Absolutely. Should he leapfrog Graham on the depth chart? No, it’s not his time yet.
