Chicago Bears Tight End Cole Kmet Wins NFC Special Teams Player of the Week as Fill-In Long Snapper: A Role He Was Never Meant to Play
In a bizarre yet impressive turn of events, Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet found himself stepping into the role of long snapper, an unfamiliar and unexpected position for a player of his caliber. Kmet’s performance in this role during a recent game earned him the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week title, but the honor comes with a mix of awe and controversy. While fans and analysts applaud his versatility, some question what this recognition says about the state of the Bears’ roster and coaching decisions.
A Role Born Out of Desperation?
The Chicago Bears, a team notoriously struggling for consistency this season, faced yet another challenge when their starting long snapper went down. Enter Cole Kmet— a tight end known for his offensive prowess and playmaking ability, not for snapping footballs. Kmet stepped into the breach as the team’s emergency long snapper, a job typically reserved for specialists who spend years mastering the craft. His unexpected success has many calling him a hero, but should it be viewed as a triumph or a symptom of deeper problems within the organization?
The Praise and the Criticism
Kmet’s accolade as NFC Special Teams Player of the Week is undeniably a testament to his athletic versatility. The Bears’ ability to adapt on the fly, with Kmet playing an unfamiliar role under pressure, speaks volumes about his personal talent and resilience. But does this award highlight the strength of the Bears, or does it expose how woefully underprepared they were for this kind of scenario?
Some critics argue that this kind of improvisation should never have been necessary. Why was there no solid backup for such a crucial role on special teams? Is it a coaching oversight, or is the Bears’ roster simply too thin to compete at a high level? These are the questions buzzing around Chicago’s sports circles, with some suggesting that Kmet’s newfound fame as a long snapper symbolizes more about the Bears’ dysfunction than anything else.A Tight End’s Honor: Misplaced Recognition?
The fact that a tight end is now receiving awards for his work on special teams also raises questions about whether the Bears’ coaching staff is using their personnel to the best of their abilities. Shouldn’t a player like Kmet, with his skillset and offensive upside, be focusing entirely on honing his craft in the passing game? Instead, he’s stepping into emergency roles, performing duties that many argue should be left to specialists.
The Bears’ inconsistency has been a hallmark of their season, and Kmet’s recognition as Special Teams Player of the Week feels like a microcosm of that. While it’s commendable that he was able to adapt in a moment of need, it also highlights how far this storied franchise has fallen from its glory days. Instead of dominating offensively or defensively, the team’s biggest storyline is a tight end filling in as long snapper—and excelling at it.
What’s Next for Kmet and the Bears?
There’s no doubt that Kmet’s performance will add to his growing reputation as one of the Bears’ most valuable assets. But the broader narrative surrounding this accolade might be less about Kmet’s heroics and more about the structural issues plaguing the Bears as a whole. Kmet’s temporary stint as long snapper may have masked a deeper problem that Chicago will need to address in the offseason: their inability to properly staff key roles and their reliance on improvisation over preparation.
As Kmet basks in his newfound recognition, Bears fans and NFL analysts are left wondering if this award is something to celebrate—or a sign of the team’s ongoing struggles. While Kmet’s success is certainly a silver lining, it’s one that may ultimately reflect poorly on the larger issues within the Chicago Bears’ organization.
For now, Cole Kmet is the man of the hour. But his unexpected rise as a special teams hero is just the latest twist in the Bears’ increasingly perplexing season.
