Bears rookie Sam Roush to assume lead tight end role after Cole Kmet injury

Chicago Bears rookie tight end Sam Roush will take on a primary role in the offense after Cole Kmet suffered a season-ending knee injury last week. Roush, who was selected in the third round of this year's draft, expressed confidence in his ability to handle the increased workload during a media session at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. He stated that he feels comfortable with the offensive operation and is happy with his progress over the last few weeks. "I'll have to step up in the coming weeks, and I feel confident in my ability to do that," Roush said.

Head coach Ben Johnson recently showed the team a video clip from comedian Chris Rock to illustrate his philosophy on roster roles. In the clip, Rock compares a marriage to a band, noting that while one member may be the lead singer, others might play the tambourine. The core message was that every member must excel at their specific part to ensure the group's success. Johnson applied this analogy to the football team, emphasizing that whether a player is a starter or a backup on special teams, their contribution is vital to the team's performance.

Kmet's departure removes a key leader and versatile player from the roster. As the team's longest-tenured player, Kmet was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Since Johnson took over as head coach, the Bears utilized Kmet more frequently as a blocking tight end, though he remained a significant target in the passing game. Last season, Kmet caught 30 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns, and he added another receiving touchdown in the playoffs.

Roush acknowledged the difficulty of losing Kmet, citing the veteran's personal and on-field support. "Obviously super tough when somebody like that goes down," Roush said. "He's very valuable to our team. Great guy, he's helped me a ton, through camp and the preseason and through the first seven weeks of the season as well. Praying for him. He's going to come back stronger than ever. Super resilient, tough guy. Very smart ballplayer."

The coaching staff plans to maintain the current offensive structure despite the injury. Johnson stated that all tight ends have been trained to perform various duties, including blocking and route running. The coaches may increase the use of jumbo packages if left tackle Ozzy Trapilo continues his recovery from a patellar tendon issue. "There's a lot of solutions out there to make sure that we can still run the ball, pass protect, and our route-running," Johnson said. "I think we're gonna be OK."

Roush's early season performance has drawn some criticism from fans due to missed opportunities as a blocker and receiver. He has caught three of five targets for 33 yards and one first down this season. To manage external noise, Roush used a phone application to lock his social media accounts, allowing him to focus on his assignments. He emphasized the need for confidence in his specific tasks rather than his general ability.

"I think just having more confidence in my assignment, not my ability to do it," Roush explained. "If I get up on the line and we're running wide zone, being able to confidently make a call and stick with it and not have doubt in my mind that that's what I'm going to do. I feel like when I have confidence in what I'm supposed to do I can really get after people."

The Bears are enjoying a shortened schedule this week, with 11 days between games following their victory over the New England Patriots on Thursday. This break, often referred to as a mini-bye week, gave Roush time to decompress before returning to practice. He said he will maintain his current daily approach to the game. "I know that my process works, so I'm not going to switch up just because of a short streak of bad performances," Roush said.

The Bears will test their new tight end configuration against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night.