Cole Kmet's family ties to the Packers-Patriots rivalry run deep, but not in the way one might expect. Growing up in Lake Barrington, Illinois, Kmet is a die-hard Bears fan, but his father Frank had brief stints with both teams in the 1990s, and his best friend from high school was a lifelong Packers supporter. To make matters more complicated, Kmet's younger sister Frankie is dating Packers defensive end Lukas Van Ness.
Kmet's own experiences against the Packers have been underwhelming, as he's only managed one victory in his five seasons with the Bears. However, he takes pride in being part of a rivalry that's "spirited" and looks forward to each matchup. For Kmet, facing the Packers is an honor and a chance to prove himself on the biggest stage.
The Bears' head coach Ben Johnson emphasized the team's focus on the next game rather than getting complacent as the No. 1 seed in the NFC. With nine wins and no room for error, Johnson stresses that the team needs to get to 11 wins to make it into the tournament.
Defensive end Austin Booker echoed this sentiment, saying the team's mindset is always to win the next game, regardless of who they're facing. This winning mentality has contributed to their success so far in the season.
Other Bears players have made significant strides in Pro Bowl voting, with safety Kevin Byard and guard Joe Thuney leading their position groups. However, injuries have taken a toll on some key players, including defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt, who is out for the rest of the season after breaking his ankle.
In related news, the Bears re-signed running back Brittain Brown to the practice squad and cut linebacker Dominique Hampton, while Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed may be cleared to return to practice soon as he continues to recover from injuries.
Kmet's own experiences against the Packers have been underwhelming, as he's only managed one victory in his five seasons with the Bears. However, he takes pride in being part of a rivalry that's "spirited" and looks forward to each matchup. For Kmet, facing the Packers is an honor and a chance to prove himself on the biggest stage.
The Bears' head coach Ben Johnson emphasized the team's focus on the next game rather than getting complacent as the No. 1 seed in the NFC. With nine wins and no room for error, Johnson stresses that the team needs to get to 11 wins to make it into the tournament.
Defensive end Austin Booker echoed this sentiment, saying the team's mindset is always to win the next game, regardless of who they're facing. This winning mentality has contributed to their success so far in the season.
Other Bears players have made significant strides in Pro Bowl voting, with safety Kevin Byard and guard Joe Thuney leading their position groups. However, injuries have taken a toll on some key players, including defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt, who is out for the rest of the season after breaking his ankle.
In related news, the Bears re-signed running back Brittain Brown to the practice squad and cut linebacker Dominique Hampton, while Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed may be cleared to return to practice soon as he continues to recover from injuries.
You know what I'd say about all this? It's just another example of how our personal connections and loyalties can make things more complicated than they need to be. Kmet's family ties might be all over the place, but that's what makes it interesting, right? 
The thing is, at the end of the day, it's not about who he's related to or who his friends are. It's about him stepping up on that field and giving it his all. That's where the real honor lies. And I think that's a lesson for us all - our identity shouldn't be tied to external factors, but to what we do with ourselves in the face of adversity. 
... I mean, can't he just pick a team and stick with it?! 
And what's up with all these injuries?! It seems like every other day there's another player getting hurt. Like, are teams not taking care of each other anymore? 
I'm so over how much info is just dumping in here. Can't we break this down a bit? Like, first can we talk about Cole Kmet's family ties and all that jazz? Then can we move on to the Bears' strategy and whatnot? It feels like every single paragraph is building on the last one... 
The Packers vs Bears rivalry stuff is cool and all, but let's not forget the rest of the story here... 
who cares? Not me, that's for sure. Cut out some of the extraneous info and let me focus on what actually matters! 
but can we talk about cole kmet for a sec? 
but also lowkey kinda sucks when u gotta deal with those emotions every week 
like, ben johnson said somethin bout focusin on the next game and not gettin complacent but like, can't we just have a lil bit of hate for our arch nems? 
anyway back to cole he said facing packers is an honor 4 him bc its a super spirited rivalry 
but lets be real the bears need 2 step it up if they wanna make it 2 the tournament 
i mean ben johnson is all about stayin focused on the next game and not gettin complacent 
defo feel him tho 
but for real though it's like super complicated cuz his dad played for them back in the day and his bestie is a huge packer fan too, meanwhile his sis is dating some packer dude lol. 
. but on a lighter note, brittain brown just got signed back to the practice squad 
and dominique hampton is outta here!