When the Chicago Bears took Michigan tight end Colston Loveland with the 10th overall pick in April's draft, the implications for incumbent No. 1 tight end Cole Kmet were clear and impossible to ignore. Trade rumors have naturally lurked on some level ever since.
Kmet openly admitted he was "taken aback" by Loveland being drafted, but an early conversation with head coach Ben Johnson unveiled a vision he was going to be a part of. Last season, according to Sumner Sports, Johnson's Detroit Lions' offense used "12" personnel (two tight ends) 32.2 percent of the time. The league average was 21.7 percent, and the Lions were fourth in EPA when they used that personnel grouping.
"The goal with it is to become the best (tight end) tandem in the league and see where we can take it from there,” Kmet said.
In his comments at mandatory minicamp in early June, Johnson basically took Kmet off the trade block.
"You could tell instantly when he was around the other offensive players, the rest of the team, there’s an instant respect level,” Johnson said. “He’s done things the right way for a long time. And so it’s been great — not just him learning the offense but helping others in the process, as well.”
Kmet will surely linger as a easily-rumored trade candidate right to the Nov. 5 trade deadline, and the talk will ramp back up when the 2026 offseason starts if he's still a Bear.
So the overall idea the Bears could (or should) consider trading Kmet is not going away anytime soon. In a broad sense, between now and the trade deadline, nothing should be ruled out on that front if multiple teams find themselves in the market for a starting-caliber tight end. Kmet would then be an unignorable trade asset.
Bleacher Report pushes Cole Kmet back to the trade block
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report has named one player each NFL team should put on the trade block this preseason. Kmet was the low-hanging fruit as that player for the Bears.
"The Chicago Bears have had a productive tight end in Cole Kmet since making him a second-round pick in 2020. In the five years since joining the team, he has tallied 258 catches for 2,592 yards and 19 touchdowns."
"Chicago signed the Notre Dame product to a four-year, $50 million extension in 2023. Therefore, it was mildly surprising when the Bears used the 10th overall pick in April's draft on Michigan tight end Colston Loveland. Of course, his selection doesn't mean Chicago won't find a way to use both tight ends."
Knox noted how Kmet's contract has a palatable out in 2026, with just $3.2 million of his $11.6 million cap hit left behind as dead money if he is traded or cut.
"However, Kmet's long-term outlook in Chicago is murky. He's under contract through 2027 but will have just $3.2 million in dead money remaining on his contract after this season. There's a non-zero chance he will be a logical cap casualty next offseason."
"The Bears would be wise to see what they can get for Kmet now. Moving him should bring an enticing return while saving a cool $10 million in cap space."
Clearing $10 million in cap space by trading Kmet looks nice. But is that better in the short-term than just keeping all the pieces of the offense around Caleb Williams intact going into the season?
Barring a trade offer they can't (or shouldn't) refuse, it wouldn't make a lot of sense for the Bears to trade Kmet before the season starts. Johnson clearly has some plans for him, and there's room for two tight ends to contribute to the offense.
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There may be a time when a trading Kmet makes sense, and Bears general manager Ryan Poles should not ignore that possibility. Right now sits on the lower end of that logic spectrum though, unless/ until something dramatically changes.