Bears tight end Cole Kmet believed to have season-ending knee injury after win over Patriots

The Chicago Bears' win over the New England Patriots came at a painful price. Tight end Cole Kmet is believed to have suffered a season-ending injury to his right knee, according to a report from NFL Network on Friday.

Kmet got hurt in the fourth quarter of Thursday night's 30-24 win at Soldier Field. With the Bears up six and facing second-and-nine at their own 10, he caught a pass from Caleb Williams and ran up the Chicago sideline before he was tackled.

He went down right away. Kmet was carted into the tunnel as the crowd cheered him on and he gave fans a thumbs up on the way out. The team quickly ruled him out for the rest of the night.

Head coach Ben Johnson didn't sound hopeful after the game. "I don't think it looked very good," he said.

The longest-tenured Bear

Kmet, a second-round pick out of Notre Dame in 2020, is the longest-tenured player on the roster and the most senior member of the offense. He has more than 3,000 career receiving yards, joining Mike Ditka as the only Bears tight ends to reach that mark.

He had three catches for 28 yards against the Patriots. That gave him 10 catches for 87 yards and a touchdown this season.

Who steps up

Rookie Sam Roush and second-year tight end Colston Loveland are expected to carry a bigger load while Kmet recovers.

The Bears weren't the only team hit hard this week. Jacksonville Jaguars left tackle Anton Harrison tore his ACL and is also out for the season.