Bears Beat Patriots 30-24 but Lose Cole Kmet to Knee Injury on Thursday Night
Chicago beat New England 30-24 on Thursday Night Football, but veteran tight end Cole Kmet was carted off late in the fourth quarter with a right knee injury, and coach Ben Johnson says more tests are coming Friday.
The Chicago Bears beat the New England Patriots 30-24 at home on Thursday night, but the win came at a cost: veteran tight end Cole Kmet was carted off the field in the fourth quarter with a right knee injury.
Kmet, 27, went down with about 5:40 remaining and the Bears leading 27-21. He caught a pass on second down and ran toward the first-down marker when two Patriots defenders met him short of the sticks toward the sideline. One appeared to clip his right leg, and he grabbed his right knee immediately after the tackle, according to the New York Post. He gave a thumbs-up as he was carted to the locker room and was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game.
Bears coach Ben Johnson offered no firm diagnosis after the game. “I don’t think it looked very good,” Johnson said, adding that the team would learn more on Friday with more tests coming.
Williams: “I don’t have the words”
The injury hit quarterback Caleb Williams hardest. “It was tough,” Williams said, according to the Post. “I don’t know exactly what it is and all of that, but obviously being carted off is never good. You’re at least going to miss some time. I don’t have the words to describe what Cole is to me, what Cole is to this team, this organization. He’s the longest-tenured Bear, I believe.”
“He’s been there for me every step of the way through the first year, the second year and now through this year. I could only do the same for him,” Williams added.
Kmet finished with three catches for 28 yards. He has 10 catches for 87 yards and one touchdown this season and has logged 62.2 percent of Chicago’s offensive snaps, according to Pro Football Reference.
The seventh-year pro has shifted to a backup role after the Bears selected Colston Loveland in the first round last year, according to the Post. Loveland said after the game, “Love that guy. We’re going to miss him, for sure. I’m praying for him,” per ESPN.
Reporting based on coverage by the New York Post and ESPN.
