The Chicago Bears looked like they were set at tight end going into the NFL draft. Cole Kmet had established himself as a reliable player on an affordable contract. There was no pressing need to address the position. Then the Bears did it anyway, grabbing Colston Loveland 10th overall in the 1st round. This immediately began speculation about the possibility that Chicago might be looking for ways to unload Kmet at some point. He’s still young, productive, and is sure to have a market for teams interested.
It must be noted that there has been no indication yet that the Bears plan to do this. Kmet is loved and respected inside Halas Hall. He plays a different position than Loveland, so there is no reason to think they can’t function together. Still, there is always the possibility that a team comes forward with an offer the Bears can’t ignore. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes there are two in the AFC who have the need and the means to place that phone call.
Kmet has three years left on his contract with cap hits of $11.6 million in each season. Chicago might not want to pay that much for a No. 2 tight end.
The New England Patriots should be interested in Kmet if he becomes available. They need to put pass-catchers around second-year quarterback Drake Maye, and Kmet could be a long-term option for them at tight end.
The Chargers could also look to add Kmet as a more dynamic pass-catcher than Tyler Conklin or Will Dissly. Kmet has 258 catches for 2,592 yards and 19 touchdowns in his five NFL seasons.
The Bears are under zero pressure to unload Cole Kmet.
Money isn’t an issue. They remain under the salary cap and should remain that way moving forward. His contract doesn’t get overly egregious over the next three years. It doesn’t make sense to unload a productive player if you can afford to keep him. Cole Kmet has plenty of value beyond catching passes. He is a quality run blocker and will be a great extension of Ben Johnson’s outside-zone scheme. Besides, having him around in case Loveland gets hurt can’t be overstated. If having one tight end who can catch passes is good, having two is better. People must stop eagerly wanting to unload players once it looks like a position is crowded. Smart teams find a way to accommodate everybody.
