Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles could be calling up the 305 to send one of their players packing to Miami to join the Dolphins.
CBS Sports writer Jordan Dajani looked at five potential tight ends the Dolphins could call about to make a trade after they traded Jonnu Smith and Jalen Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bears starter Cole Kmet was first on the list.
"Kmet signed a four-year, $50 million extension with the Bears ahead of the 2023 season, but Chicago just utilized a top 10 pick on former Michigan tight end Colston Loveland. That in itself does not guarantee Kmet is on the trade block, but it does make it easier for Chicago to move off him should it field an enticing-enough offer.
After putting pen to paper on his new contract, Kmet caught a career-high 73 passes for a career-high 719 yards and six touchdowns. However, with Caleb Williams at quarterback in 2024, Kmet caught 47 passes for 474 yards and four touchdowns. It was statistically his worst season since his rookie year in 2020. Odds are Chicago wants to tout a two-headed monster at tight end in 2025, but Chris Grier should at least call Ryan Poles and have a conversation."
Could a Kmet trade make sense for the Bears?
The Bears selected Kmet in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft and have been an instant contributor since. Last season was his worst since that 2020 rookie season, as he made 47 receptions for 474 yards and four touchdowns.
To be fair to Kmet, he did catch 85.4% of his targets last year, which was a career-high for him. The Bears' offense struggled, ranking last in total offense, so Kmet didn't receive the opportunities he had in the past.
Things haven't been looking Kmet's way, especially with Chicago using its 10th overall pick on tight end Colston Loveland. Usually, that means that the starter has one foot out the door before being gone soon enough.
Kmet is currently in the middle of his four-year, $50 million rookie extension, which he signed before the 2023 season. This leaves some questions open as to whether the Bears want to keep paying him that kind of money or send him elsewhere.
Miami has a glaring hole at tight end and could be in the midst of a rebuild. Kmet is just 26, so it would make sense for the Dolphins to bring in a younger guy to start and give their quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, another passing option with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Chicago could receive a mid-to-low-round pick for Kmet and move forward with Loveland as the starter. One thing to consider is that Loveland has been hurt and hasn't been able to work out with the Bears this offseason. If Loveland isn't 100% ready by training camp, that could delay a move by the Bears.
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The possibility of having Kmet and Loveland on the same field as D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, and Luther Burden III is a dangerous thought. For Chicago, is it more important to have all those weapons around their young quarterback, Caleb Williams, or to keep building for the future?