Cole Kmet expresses deep disappointment over parting ways with Justin Fields as a teammate.
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus anticipated that not all players would take the news of losing quarterback Justin Fields well. Prior to the trade that sent Fields to Pittsburgh, Eberflus reached out to Fields' close friends on the team to touch base with them.
One of those players was Bears tight end Cole Kmet, who initially planned to celebrate St. Patrick's Day weekend in Chicago. However, after receiving a call from Eberflus and the Bears, Kmet decided to stay in, feeling disheartened by the news about Justin.
Reflecting on the situation on the CHGO Bears podcast, Kmet shared his feelings, saying, «It was really upsetting that it came to that, and where it was at that moment, but you kind of felt like the writing was on the wall with that.»
Despite the disappointment, Kmet acknowledged Eberflus' gesture of reaching out to him about the situation. «I don't expect them to call me for that kind of thing, but it's always nice when they do reach out,» Kmet stated. «I think that's a classy move by them to let guys who have been with Justin and are close with Justin know about the decision and why they made the decision. So I'm definitely grateful that they do that, and it's not something they have to do, by any means.»
Looking ahead, Kmet expressed optimism about the Bears' future with a rookie quarterback, likely USC's Caleb Williams. «I still think [it's] really exciting times for the Bears here,» he remarked. «This is really exciting times and with whatever rookie they decide to go with, looks like that's the direction that it's going, what a great opportunity. What a great opportunity for a young kid to come in here with an infrastructure in place and be ready to go win football games from the get-go.»
