The Chicago Bears have spent much of the season making defenses account for two tight ends. Now they have to figure out how to keep those defenses guessing with only two tight ends on the active roster.

Cole Kmet’s season-ending knee injury leaves Colston Loveland as the starter and rookie Sam Roush as his only backup on the Bears’ October 27 depth chart. Loveland’s recent production gives Caleb Williams a dependable receiving option at the position. Replacing everything Kmet did, however, is a bigger job than finding another player to catch passes.

That is why one of coach Ben Johnson’s possible answers is an offensive lineman.

During his press conference after the Patriots game, Johnson said the Bears could use more six-lineman formations if Ozzy Trapilo continues to progress. It was a possibility, not a commitment to change the offense. But it showed how Chicago might divide Kmet’s responsibilities instead of asking one young player to take them all on.

Sam Roush is first in line

Roush’s opportunity has arrived sooner than the Bears wanted. Kmet injured his knee in the fourth quarter of Chicago’s 30-24 win over New England and was placed on injured reserve. Johnson subsequently confirmed that he will miss the rest of the season.

The rookie knows what that means for him. Speaking to the Bears’ official website, Roush said Kmet had helped him throughout camp and the first seven weeks. He also said he felt increasingly comfortable with the offense and confident he could take on more work.

Johnson shares that confidence. He said Roush’s snaps are likely to increase and praised the progress he has made since the start of the season. Chicago drafted Roush in the third round because it saw a player with the size to block and the ability to contribute as a receiver. The weeks ahead will provide a much clearer look at how those traits translate to regular playing time.

There will be a learning curve. Roush has had a limited offensive role through seven games, while Kmet was a veteran Johnson trusted across different formations and assignments. More snaps will bring more chances for Roush to show what he can do. They will also bring more situations in which the Bears need him to get the details right.

The question is how much Chicago asks him to handle at once. Folks have not forgotten his special-teams mishaps and the drops on offense.

Ozzy Trapilo offers a different answer

If Johnson wants an extra blocker on the field, Trapilo could give him an option that does not depend on Roush taking every one of Kmet’s blocking assignments. A formation with six offensive linemen could add size at the line of scrimmage and help Chicago protect a run or a pass. Johnson deployed that strategy in Detroit.

It could also create a useful question for the defense. An extra lineman might suggest a run, but the Bears could still send Loveland, Luther Burden III and Rome Odunze into routes. Johnson’s offense works best when opponents cannot settle on what is coming simply by looking at the personnel.

There is a limit to the idea. Trapilo cannot take over Kmet’s receiving role, and a six-lineman package does not give Williams another tight end to target. Johnson said he has trained his tight ends to perform the different jobs the offense requires and does not expect to change its identity because Kmet is out. Jumbo formations would be one tool within that approach.

They could be particularly useful while Roush grows into a larger role. Johnson can choose when to put the rookie in demanding blocking situations, when to use an extra lineman and when to let Loveland threaten the defense as a receiver. Those choices would make the replacement a shared effort rather than a test Roush must pass alone.

Kmet leaves more than an opening in the lineup

The Bears lose an unusually reliable player. Kmet could contribute as a blocker, receiver and leader without needing a large number of targets to affect a game. Johnson called him one of the people he counted on to understand the pulse of the team. That presence cannot be recreated with a formation.

Chicago’s offense has enough playmakers to remain dangerous. Loveland caught seven passes for 69 yards and a touchdown against New England, while Burden and Odunze made major contributions at different stages of the win. Kmet’s absence does not erase those options. It does place more weight on the players and packages that connect them.

Monday night’s game in Seattle will be the first test of Johnson’s plan. Watch how often Roush plays, whether Trapilo appears as a sixth lineman and which tight end is on the field when the Bears need a crucial block. Those details will tell us more than any declaration that Chicago has found a single replacement for Kmet.