Bears place Cole Kmet on injured reserve with season-ending knee injury

The Chicago Bears placed tight end Cole Kmet on injured reserve Friday, and head coach Ben Johnson said the knee injury will end his season. The team announced the move on X Friday afternoon, and it also appears in ESPN's transaction log.

What is confirmed

Kmet hurt his right knee late in Thursday night's 30-24 win over New England and was carted to the locker room. Friday morning, the outlook was a likely season-ending injury with tests still pending. That changed when Johnson spoke Friday afternoon.

Johnson said Kmet was headed to IR and that his season is over, per Ian Rapoport. "He's a big part of our heartbeat. It stinks. I hate it," Johnson said. The Bears made the IR placement official on their team account a couple of hours later.

The team has not announced a specific diagnosis or whether Kmet needs surgery.

Why it matters for RSO owners

Kmet had been mostly a blocker this year. He entered Thursday with seven catches for 59 yards on the season and added three catches for 28 yards before he got hurt. His weekly scoring was already thin, so the real change is around him.

Colston Loveland is now the clear lead tight end in Chicago. He scored a 12-yard touchdown Thursday and should see nearly every passing-down snap from here. Rookie Sam Roush is the most likely candidate to pick up the blocking snaps Kmet leaves behind.

What to do now

If your league has IR slots, move Kmet there now and use the open roster spot. If it doesn't, look at his contract before you cut him. In a contract league, his remaining years and any dead money matter more than a lost season, so check what releasing him costs your cap against what holding him costs your roster.

Loveland owners should hold firm. Managers who need a tight end should make an offer soon, because his workload just became the most secure part of this offense at the position.

What to watch next

Watch for a diagnosis and any surgery news, which will shape Kmet's outlook for 2027. Also watch whether Chicago signs or promotes a tight end to fill the roster spot, and how Loveland and Roush split snaps in the Bears' next game.