Chicago Bears: Noah Fant Would Be Great Addition At Tight End

One of the areas the Chicago Bears have to strengthen is tight end. With new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, Noah Fant would fit in well.

For Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles, there are many decisions to be made. Many people are concerned with the quarterback situation. However, there are quite several holes in the roster that need filling.

One of the holes is at tight end. The Bears have Cole Kmet, who is making a name for himself as one of the top tight ends in the NFL. However, there isn’t anything behind him.

Kmet had 73 catches for 719 yards and 6 touchdowns. The catches and yards were both career highs. His touchdowns were just one off of his career high.

The other tight ends on the Chicago Bears roster, Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis, only combined for 15 catches for 141 yards and one touchdown. That was a big problem for the offense.

This offseason, both Tonyan and Lewis become free agents. Lewis turns 40 in May so retirement is more likely than a new contract. Tonyan might be given a second chance. He has not been able to recapture the success of his 2020 season. That year he had 52 catches for 586 yards and an amazing 11 touchdowns.

If neither Tonyan nor Lewis returns, that leaves no one to back up Kmet. Poles would undoubtedly look for a tight end in the draft. That would give them a player who could be there for quite some time. However, the Chicago Bears would still need a veteran who could contribute right away.

Which free-agent tight end could help?

There could be some good free-agent tight ends available this offseason. However, Poles will not break the bank to acquire one. One player who would not be expensive and who could contribute quickly is Noah Fant.

Fand already has familiarity with new Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. Waldron was the Seattle Seahawks’ offensive coordinator when Fant was their starting tight end. He can jump right in and run the system.

Fant is familiar with the schemes and terminology. He can help Kmet and other teammates understand what is expected on the plays. He could be an important asset.

After having 670 receiving yards in 2021, Fant had 486 yards in 2022 and 414 in 2023. He has shown the ability to be a good pass catcher. Waldron likes to use a lot of two-tight-end sets, so having Kmet and Fant together could be a good thing.

Fant is a very athletic tight end. Some compare his athleticism favorably with San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle. Both come from Iowa, a school that is known for producing top-notch NFL tight ends.

With the Chicago Bears, Fant does not need to be the tight end who carries the unit. That is Kmet’s job. Fant can just complement Kmet and make plays himself. He is also a good blocker so that is additional help.

In Seattle, Fant was in a good tight end trio. He did a good job of playing in that tight end by committee. He had a 74.4 percent catch percentage and had only two drops. Furthermore, he had seven catches of 20+ yards and averaged 5.7 yards after the catch. That ranked seventh in the league.

Fant would complement Kmet on the field. His pass-catching ability could take some pressure off of Kmet, opening space up. Teams have to account for both or risk having one of them make big plays. Moreover, with two tight ends who can make plays, it helps the wide receivers.

The Chicago Bears need to take a long look at Fant this offseason.