The Chicago Bears have been attached to all kinds of rumors regarding their tight end Cole Kmet all offseason, but nothing has happened
With the Bears facing financial constraints, Kmet has been the subject of discussions about whether he will be traded or cut to help the franchise save money. Bleacher Report writer Kristopher Knox included Kmet on his list of players in the NFL who are prime trade candidates after June 1.
"While there's a role for Kmet in Ben Johnson's offense, it isn't likely to be a large one in 2026. Last year's first-round pick, Colston Loveland, has clearly established himself as TE1, while rookie third-round pick Sam Roush probably has a brighter future in Chicago than Kmet does. Kmet should heavily interest teams in need of a quality pass-catching tight end. He has filled the TE1 role for the Bears in the past and has topped 500 receiving yards in three of his six seasons. Whether the Bears actually move on from Kmet before he becomes a likely 2027 cap casualty—they'll save $10 million by cutting or trading him in the spring—expect his name to come up more often in trade chatter next month."
Cole Kmet could be traded after June 1, but will he?
One telling sign that the Bears might be more interested in keeping Kmet for 2026 is that they restructured his contract on draft weekend. That helped Chicago create over $10 million in cap space between the two players they restructured, but it also shows they are committed to Kmet for the near future.
The trade rumors have grown louder over the last few weeks after the Bears selected Stanford tight end Sam Roush in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, making a trade more likely. Kmet should still be the backup tight end to Colston Loveland, though, as he'll be used more on passing downs versus Roush, who is more known as a blocking tight end.
Chicago has to be smart about a potential trade with Kmet if they want to talk themselves into doing it. An early Day 3 pick would be fair compensation for the tight end, but anything less, and the Bears are better off just keeping him.
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There's nothing wrong with Kmet as he's still a very good tight end, but his salary does leave some to wonder if the Bears are better off moving on and allocating that extra cash to a position of need. Who knows what the Bears will do, but after June 1, there will be more eyes on Kmet to see what happens.
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