Bears dodged dangerous bullet by not trading Cole Kmet to Miami Dolphins

The NFL is usually quiet at this time of year as it takes a back seat to both the NBA and the NHL, with the NBA Finals and the NHL Stanley Cup Finals, followed by the draft.

That all changed on Monday when the Pittsburgh Steelers traded safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins, the same team that drafted him in the first round back in 2018, a 2027 fifth-round choice in exchange for cornerback Jalen Ramsey, tight end Jonnu Smith, and a 2027 seventh-round pick.

Smith had also been a subject of a trade rumor himself, as the Steelers were looking to add more pass catchers in the wake of signing quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Smith is reunited with the Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, as they had spent together with the Tennessee Titans and the Atlanta Falcons, where Arthur Smith was the head coach.

Somehow, many Bears fans started assuming Cole Kmet was getting traded to Miami. It seems the Bears fans are quick to move on from Kmet ever since the Bears drafted Michigan tight end Colston Loveland 10th overall in April's NFL Draft.

The Bears fans need to get a grip on themselves and reality

Last month, I wrote an article about how the Bears fans need to stop fantasizing about edge rusher Trey Hendrickson and running backs, because the Bears will not get every player rumored to be available. The same thing can be said about casually trading players for draft capital or salary cap relief.

As a result, someone made a wild trade proposal on X involving Kmet, which makes absolutely no sense from the Bears' perspective.

Achane stands 5'9", 188 pounds, and he rushed for 907 yards and 6 rushing touchdowns. So you are trading D'Andre Swift for a younger version of Swift. No other player, much less Achane, is worth two veterans and a third-round pick. And does anyone think Durham Smythe is capable of replacing Kmet?

Let’s be clear: The Bears have zero incentive to trade Cole Kmet this year. He’s coming off a career year, is under contract, and is a vital part of the team’s offensive identity as the new head coach plans to run 12 personnel, which is one running back and two tight ends, just like he did in Detroit. Trading him would not only create a hole in the offense but also send the wrong message to a team trying to build continuity and chemistry.

Fortunately, the Miami Dolphins pulled off a shocker on Tuesday when they announced the trade for former Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants tight end Darren Waller, who retired last season to focus on his music career. Now, he is coming out of retirement to play for Miami, the only team he was willing to play for out of retirement.

This situation is a reminder of how quickly NFL narratives can spiral. One team makes a move, and suddenly every tight end in the league is rumored to be on the block. But Bears fans should take a deep breath. The front office knows what they have in Kmet, and they’re not about to let him go, especially not for a late-round pick or a short-term fix.

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So, let the Dolphins roll the dice on Waller. Meanwhile, Chicago has two capable guys. Kmet is not going anywhere. And the Bears fans better accept it.