This browser does not support the Video element.
Bears Game Day Live: Cassie, Lou, Anthony, Tina and Lil Durk give Bears Bold Predictions
How about that for a celeb shot? Lil Durk joins Cassie Carlson, Lou Canellis, Anthony Herron and Tina Nguyen in giving their Bears' Bold Predictions.
In the first quarter of Sunday's win over the Jaguars, Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet was put on the spot.
At first, he was wondering why special teams coordinator Richard Hightower was telling him about an injury update.
"HT (Hightower) came up to me and said, 'Hey, Scott's hurt,' and I'm like, Tyler Scott's hurt. Like, what?" Kmet said after the game. "He's telling me, and I'm like, okay, like why does that affect me?"
No, not Tyler Scott. Hightower was talking about long snapper Scott Daly, who left the game with a knee injury and was quickly ruled out. This meant Kmet was now up' he's the Bears' emergency long snapper.
"I'm like, oh S***," Kmet said. "I gotta go snap right now."
Kmet did his job on Sunday at tight end, and other duties as assigned. He finished the game with a team-high five receptions for 70 yards and two touchdowns. He was also the first NFL player since 2005 to catch a TD pass and snap the extra point after.
Sunday was an example of why Kmet is so imperative to the Bears in both their long- and short-term plans. In the short term, he gives Caleb Williams a dependable target over the middle, in the seams and with contested catches.
In the long-term, he gives the Bears a player who can step up and help the team win in so many facets.
Williams, who took a big step forward at quarterback today, found Kmet in the red zone, in the middle of the field and on scramble plays. There's a trust there that now exists, gives Williams a set of confidence and is translating to the football field.
Look no further than Kmet's second touchdown, where Williams and Kmet connected in the back of the end zone.
"Him and I made an adjustment with his route before the week, before the game," Williams said. "He did a great job with that."
After those two scores, he had to long snap, too. Kmet didn't have time to think. He just snapped.
"You're just so tired on the field that, 'okay, I'm going to shoot this ball in between my legs real quick and get this over with," Kmet said. "Going in the night of the game though, I kind of run my head through all the scenarios and the plays and then I just think, 'gosh, I hope (Patrick) Scales or Scott don't get hurt today."
Unfortunately, Daly did get injured. It was up to Kmet, and the fourth-year player out of Notre Dame and the St. Viator High School alum came through.
But, it wasn't pure luck. Kmet's job as the emergency long snapper is to be ready. He was on Sunday because he put the work in.
"We practice that every Thursday," Eberflus said. "It's part of our routine because he's the backup."
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 13: Cole Kmet of Chicago Bears celebrates scoring a touchdown during the NFL match between Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 13, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathco …
Of course, it wasn't all perfect.
"A couple snaps were high," Eberflus said, with one of those snaps affecting a 43-yard field goal that Cairo Santos missed in a game that was all but decided.
"It's always good to see that because they're working at it," Eberflus said.
In his NFL career, Kmet has already done plenty.
He has caught passes, run the football, blocked defensive linemen, taken snaps from under center and, now, long snapped in an NFL game. He'd be lying if he said he believed this was in his cards.
"It's not a position I ever thought I'd play in the NFL," Kmet said.
But, when the Bears needed him, he was there.
One of the vested veterans who underwent a coaching change, an offensive coordinator change and multiple quarterbacks and earned a massive payday with the Bears has become arguably the most dependable player on the roster.
"I'm just glad I could go out there and just provide something to the team in that regard," Kmet said.