nbcsports
The Chicago Bears are grappling with the loss of tight end Cole Kmet, who sustained a season-ending knee injury on Thursday night. To compensate, the team may turn to heavier personnel packages, potentially featuring six offensive linemen on the field.
Head coach Ben Johnson indicated that he might call more plays from the jumbo formation, which utilizes an extra offensive lineman. Johnson noted that backup lineman Ozzy Trapilo, who has seen limited action this season after recovering from a ruptured patellar tendon suffered in last year's playoffs, could receive more playing time in such sets.
"One solution could be, if Ozzy continues to trend up, then maybe we could do more jumbo, too," Johnson said. "It's not something we had to lean into, but there's a lot of solutions out there to make sure we can still run the ball, pass protect."
Key Analysis
Kmet's absence is a significant blow, but the Bears might find success by deploying bigger personnel. Johnson expressed confidence that the offense can maintain its productivity despite the setback, and the jumbo formation could be a key adjustment.
Originally reported by nbcsports.