Mere minutes after the Bears’ season ended Sunday night, someone asked Cole Kmet about the team being well-positioned for the future.The tight end wasn’t ready to go there. To do so would be to disrespect the opportunity the Bears had just tried — and failed — to grasp in their 20-17 overtime loss to the Rams at Soldier Field.“The work we put in is for this year,” he said. “Not for next year.”The Bears came within inches — maybe even 72, had they decided to go for two to win the game rather than kick the extra point at the end of regulation — from reaching the NFC championship game for the first time in 15 years. Quarterback Caleb Williams’ miracle touchdown pass to Kmet forced overtime, but his interception led to the Rams’ game-winning field goal. Kmet wasn’t ready to overlook any of what happened Sunday — good or bad — in the name of feeling optimistic for the future.“You can’t take for granted the opportunities you get in this league — to get to this chance to have an opportunity to go to the NFC championship, and then who knows from there?” he said. “To just think it’s just gonna happen again, it’s very wishful thinking. Very wishful.”Guard Jonah Jackson had a former coach who used to remind his players that “this might be your only shot.” Sitting at his locker Monday, he admitted that Sunday might have been. There’s never a way to know for sure.“You don’t…

Continue reading →

Mere minutes after the Bears’ season ended Sunday night, someone asked Cole Kmet about the team being well-positioned for the future.The tight end wasn’t ready to go there. To do so would be to disrespect the opportunity the Bears had just tried — and failed — to grasp in their 20-17 overtime loss to the Rams at Soldier Field.“The work we put in is for this year,” he said. “Not for next year.”The Bears came within inches — maybe even 72, had they decided to go for two to win the game rather than kick the extra point at the end of regulation — from reaching the NFC championship game for the first time in 15 years. Quarterback Caleb Williams’ miracle touchdown pass to Kmet forced overtime, but his interception led to the Rams’ game-winning field goal. Kmet wasn’t ready to overlook any of what happened Sunday — good or bad — in the name of feeling optimistic for the future.“You can’t take for granted the opportunities you get in this league — to get to this chance to have an opportunity to go to the NFC championship, and then who knows from there?” he said. “To just think it’s just gonna happen again, it’s very wishful thinking. Very wishful.”Guard Jonah Jackson had a former coach who used to remind his players that “this might be your only shot.” Sitting at his locker Monday, he admitted that Sunday might have been. There’s never a way to know for sure.“You don’t…

Continue reading →