Chicago Bears TE Cole Kmet has telling demotion before Week 1

One of the dumber things former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus did before the 2024 regular season was name eight team captains. On Tuesday, new head coach Ben Johnson revealed the Bears would have five permanent team captains in 2025.

Johnson is opting for two captains on defense (Kevin Byard, Grady Jarrett), two on offense (Joe Thuney, Caleb Williams), and one on special teams (Cairo Santos).

Thuney and Jarrett are interesting decisions for Chicago, as both veteran players joined the team in the offseason. The Bears choosing Byard over cornerback Jaylon Johnson was also a choice.

Your 2025 Captains pic.twitter.com/o8Z6twWyW0

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 2, 2025

Chicago Bears TE Cole Kmet is no longer a captain

Last season, the Bears had DJ Moore, Cole Kmet, Marcedes Lewis, Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, Johnson, and Byard as captains.

The absence of Kmet as a captain this season is noticeable. He’s a known leader in the locker room and an ambassador to the media. He’s also the Bears’ player representative for the NFLPA. 

Keeping Williams as a captain is no surprise, but the decision to anoint Thuney as a captain over established veteran players like Moore and Kmet speaks to the new coaching staff wanting a different influence over the locker room than the one that crashed and burned after losing to the Washington Commanders last season.

Kmet’s influence is taking a hit after Colston Loveland was drafted

The decision to demote Kmet also comes months after the Bears drafted a tight end in the first round who will eventually replace him, Colston Loveland. Though he wasn’t named a team captain this year, the coaching staff is pushing 2024 first-round pick Rome Odunze to become a leader. Eventually, Loveland should become a leader for the Bears, as is expected for first-round picks.

Kmet and Loveland are expected to have different roles in the offense this season, and the former Notre Dame tight end should see plenty of targets from Williams. But the writing is on the wall for Kmet’s future with Chicago, and the decision to take away his captain status is another sign of things to come with the tight end.

For More Chicago Sports:

Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks