Chicago Bears training camp news: Cole Kmet reflects on Hall of Fame visit

LAKE FOREST – Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet took a nice, long look at the No. 76 jersey hanging at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

The Bears toured the Hall of Fame this week before playing in Thursday’s Hall of Fame preseason game. It was a cool moment for Kmet, who grew up a Bears fan in Lake Barrington.

His dad’s favorite player on the 1985 Bears was always Steve McMichael.

“It was cool to kind of see all that go down and see his jersey in the hall,” Kmet said. “And being able to see all of the different busts up there was really cool. Definitely a cool moment.”

The Bears practiced Saturday at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, while back in Canton, Ohio, three former members of the organization – Steve McMichael, Devin Hester and Julius Peppers – were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Kmet’s father Frank Kmet also played in the NFL. Cole Kmet said his dad liked McMichael because Dan Hampton might have been the handsome one, Richard Dent might have had the most sacks, but McMichael was a workhorse in the middle.

“[He] was just kind of the lunch pail guy in the middle, a grinder that brought a ton of attitude and he always was drawn to that,” Kmet said.

Taking attendance

Bears right tackle Darnell Wright missed his second consecutive practice. Wright, the No. 10 overall draft pick in 2023, was not present Saturday at Halas Hall and was also not present when the team last took the practice field Wednesday.

Also on the offensive line, right guard Nate Davis remains out. The Bears do not have to release an injury report until the regular season, so it’s unclear what their injuries are.

Asked if Wright will be back at practice Sunday, Eberflus said, “We’re hopeful on a lot of guys.”

With Wright and Davis out, the offensive line looked different Saturday. The Bears had backups Bill Murray at right guard and Matt Pryor at right tackle. They also tried another look with Pryor at right guard and Larry Borom at right tackle.

“You also saw a little bit different depth chart on the O-line today,” Eberflus said. “That’s fine. We’re just working guys to see if they can elevate [their games].”

Safety Jonathan Owens remains absent. Owens is expected to return from Paris soon after going to watch his wife, gymnastics all-around champion Simone Biles, compete at the Olympics.

On the defensive side, the team was without several starters Saturday. Defensive end Montez Sweat, defensive tackle Andrew Billings, safety Jaquan Brisker, cornerback Kyler Gordon and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson all sat out team drills.

Other players who did not participate Saturday included running back Ian Wheeler, linebacker Noah Sewell, defensive end Jacob Martin and offensive lineman Theo Benedet.

Practice notes

The best play of the day Saturday was a touchdown pass that rookie quarterback Caleb Williams threw to veteran receiver Keenan Allen. Williams threw a perfect pass and Allen made a nice two-handed catch with room to get both feet in bounds. Safety Kevin Byard was defending in coverage on the play.

Later, in a two-minute drill, rookie receiver Rome Odunze dropped a sure touchdown pass from Williams. Odunze had cornerback Jaylon Johnson beat by a step and the ball found his hands, but Odunze simply couldn’t hold on. Odunze also lost one of his cleats on the play, which might have affected his concentration.