Those Pesky Cole Kmet Rumors Have Resurfaced — And Why They Haven’t Died

For the past couple of months, tight end Cole Kmet has been surrounded by rumors of being traded. The primary reasoning behind this was basic math. The Chicago Bears were low on available cap space. Colston Loveland was the clear #1 tight end moving forward. Paying over $11 million to a #2 guy doesn’t make much business sense. Trading Kmet would net the Bears a draft pick and net the team $8.4 million in cap space. It already happened to D.J. Moore, so the possibility felt real.

However, the first waves of free agency came and went with nothing happening. Most took that as a sign that the Bears were never considering moving on from Kmet. Yet even now, the rumor won’t die. Bleacher Report was the latest to bring it up, stating the Bears still haven’t solved their salary cap issue. Unless they’re willing to restructure a contract or two, they don’t have enough space to absorb their draft class next month. That means somebody else must be shipping out. Kmet is the only logical option.

The issue for the Bears is that they spent heavily while turning over their 29th-ranked defense. After adding the likes of Neville Gallimore, Coby Bryant, Devin Bush, and Jack Sanborn, Chicago is left with a league-low $1 million in effective cap space.

If the Bears can’t work out a restructure or find a trade partner for Kmet, they can save $9 million by releasing him after June 1. If Chicago can add some depth behind Loveland over draft weekend, releasing Kmet would make a good amount of financial sense.

If Kmet does become available, adding him should be a priority for virtually any team in need of a pass-catching tight end.

Cole Kmet isn’t going anywhere.

For one, there was never any indication last season that he was on the outs with the new coaching staff. Bears head coach Ben Johnson likes to run a system featuring lots of “12” personnel. That means having two tight ends on the field. The logical course would be having two guys who can catch the football. Loveland and Kmet both can. That is why the offense was so effective throughout the year. While Loveland was the more dynamic weapon, Kmet came up huge in big spots. See the Eagles and Rams games for evidence.

Don’t forget the Bears already let Durham Smythe walk in free agency. Trading Cole Kmet would suddenly leave the tight end position dangerously thin. It doesn’t make logistical sense. If the Bears wanted to gain some salary cap relief, the better option would be giving Kmet a minor contract extension. They could move the money around to make his cap hit smaller while ensuring a key piece on offense stays put. He’s only 27 years old. The value remains high.

Trading Moore was necessary. His production had dipped, and his contract was far more expensive than Kmet’s. The same was true of Tremaine Edmunds. Neither player showcased their value to the team quite like Kmet did last season. Sure, the contract situation is a little larger than normal for someone of his role, but that doesn’t mean the team can’t work around it.