LAKE FOREST, Ill. — In 2024, Cole Kmet found himself fading into the background of a tumultuous Chicago Bears team, which saw both head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron fired mid-season.

Among the combined reigns of Eberflus, Waldron and double-duty interim Thomas Brown, Kmet was targeted just 55 times — the tight end’s lowest involvement since his rookie season in 2020. That number put him in the bottom 10 of 37 NFL tight ends, and his 474 receiving yards ranked him only a few spots higher at 25th.

Then, Ben Johnson arrived – and he used his very first Bears draft pick on a tight end.

The selection of Colston Loveland out of Michigan was a head-scratcher for many, including Kmet himself. However, Johnson had a clear plan, and he made sure Kmet was aware of it right from the start.

[READ: Ian Rapoport explains how ‘mystery helped’ Bears pick Colston Loveland]

“I think at first, you’re taken aback a little bit,” Kmet said Tuesday after the first day of the team’s mandatory minicamp. “Ben was awesome about it in terms of calling me right away and explaining the decision. From there, you’re all on board.”

Johnson is no stranger to getting the most out of the tight end position. It’s one of his specialties – he led the Detroit Lions’ group in 2020 and 2021, where he was instrumental in then-Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson’s first Pro Bowl selection. With Johnson as offensive coordinator last season, the Lions were second in the NFL in total yards per game (409.5), while second-year tight end Sam LaPorta’s 726 receiving yards were the sixth-most in the league at the position.

Johnson’s words were enough for Kmet to understand where the team was coming from.

“(He was) just reassuring me of where I stood in their eyes,” Kmet said. “We talked at length more about it later. You’re just understanding their vision and their expectations for you as a player. I think having those conversations cleared the air a little bit.”

Kmet, who is entering his sixth season with the Bears, is now the longest-tenured player on the roster. Johnson said Kmet’s value to the team was apparent as soon as he took over.

“He’s a pro, he takes his work seriously, and is a great teammate,” Johnson said of Kmet on Tuesday. “You could tell when he was around the other offensive players — there’s an instant respect level. He’s done things the right way for a long time … not just learning the offense, but helping others in the process as well.”

At 26, Kmet’s 84 career games with the Bears are the fourth-most among Chicago tight ends all-time. His 19 touchdowns are the third-most behind only Greg Olsen and Mike Ditka.

[READ: Greg Olsen praises Bears’ Ben Johnson hire, 2025 season outlook]

Kmet said he hasn’t specifically been asked to mentor Loveland, but it’s only natural that he’ll take the 21-year-old under his wing.

“I want to give him as much knowledge as I can and get him up to pace as quickly as possible so that he can go out there and be the best football player that he can be,” Kmet said. “I think he’s going to fit just fine in our room and in the offense as well.”

Like on any team, Kmet and Loveland will be compared. But for Kmet, it’s what’s to be expected — and he’s more than ready to handle it.

“You understand that there’s going to be areas where we complement each other, and — just like any position room – there’s going to be areas that we compete for things,” he said. “That’s football and that’s how it should be. So, I’m excited about it — we’re going to make each other better.”

Watch Cole Kmet’s full presser on the Marquee Sports Network app.