Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Chicago Bears should trade tight end Cole Kmet to capitalize on his current market value while his role diminishes on their updated depth chart.
- Potential suitors like the Chiefs, Broncos, and Panthers could offer mid-round draft picks or player swaps to acquire the 27-year-old veteran blocker.
- Moving Kmet clears cap space and secures assets for Chicago while providing a proven starting tight end to a needy contender before the trade deadline.
The Chicago Bears need to move on from tight end Cole Kmet. Not because he's bad but because his talents are wasted on the depth chart with Colston Loveland now the clear No. 1 option for quarterback Caleb Williams.
Kmet is a good blocker and can still produce healthy numbers receiving-wise — he posted 347 yards and two touchdowns on 30 catches last year — but Chicago needs to capitalize on maxing out his value in the trade market. The 27-year-old doesn't have a starter-level future with the franchise anymore but could with another. Let's identify some of those suitors and what it would take to satisfy Chicago's needs.
Kansas City Chiefs
Newly-betrothed Travis Kelce is entering his final NFL season and needs a sure fire successor. The Kansas City Chiefs can't turn to backup Noah Gray for reliable production even with Patrick Mahomes as his quarterback. Acquiring Kmet sets up a smoother transition at the position until the team plots a draft or free agent replacement down the road.
Chicago has reportedly been asking for a third-round pick in exchange for their 2020 second-rounder (No. 43 overall). It's not a steep price, but it could take some convincing for a team like Kansas City that won't want to take on his entire $7.75 million cap hit in 2026 and $15.425 million hit in 2027 but could afford it. That's where general manager Ryan Poles may have to sweeten the pot with a late-round pick going the other way with Kmet.
Denver Broncos
Multiple teams have had to ask themselves whether Evan Engram can sustain multiple years of solid production. The Denver Broncos are the latest franchise to do so, and the answer should be rather evident: he cannot. Engram posted 461 yards and a single score on 50 catches last year, but he's now on the wrong side of 30 years old. Kmet's 2025 stat line was three quarters of the Broncos' starter's total, and he did that as a backup.
In order to avoid having to send a pick to a clear Super Bowl contender along with Kmet, Poles may have to settle for a fourth-rounder next year and make up the difference with a late-rounder in 2028. That selection would, of course, come with the benefit of conditions. Should Denver reach the AFC title game again and Kmet play a certain percentage of snaps across the next two years, that pick gets upgraded.
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers seem to be approaching the tight end position via committee. Tommy Tremble should get the bulk of snaps but Ja'Tavion Sanders will be getting a healthy amount of looks too. While we have yet to see how successful that plan will be, by the trade deadline the team may prefer pairing Tremble with a veteran who still has a similar spring in his step and a knack for blocking.
Carolina can offer Chicago its desired third-rounder plus a future late-round selection, but similar to Kansas City, Kmet's financials may require some compensation if the Bears don't retain any salary. The franchise hasn't had a true star tight end since Greg Olson. This would be Kmet's opportunity to step into that role should Tremble not live up to expectations.
Things could get interesting if Carolina isn't the only team that wants in on a blockbuster deal. Chicago also needs just one more defensive piece to complete its championship-chasing squad, and they could get it from the Arizona Cardinals with the Panthers chipping in on the asking price. In this scenario the Panthers would get Kmet, the Bears receive pass rusher Josh Sweat and the Cardinals receive a pair of 2027 fourth-rounders — one from each team. It might be a long shot, but we've seen crazier deals go down.
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