The Chicago Bears have a strong trade market for tight end Cole Kmet and could land a significant return for him this offseason.
One of several teams that might be interested in a deal for Kmet is the Kansas City Chiefs. Ben Solak of ESPN recently authored a trade pitch in which the Bears send Kmet and a fifth-round pick to the Chiefs in return for a third-round selection.
“Travis Kelce plays much more slot receiver than true tight end, while Noah Gray and Jared Wiley have not moved the needle behind him,” Solak wrote Wednesday, May 27. “As the Chiefs commit to a better rushing attack, they need skill position players who can block. Kmet can reconnect with coordinator Eric Bieniemy and adds a much-needed dimension as a traditional Y tight end.”
Cole Kmet Could Prove Replacement for Travis Kelce in Kansas City
GettyChicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet.
Kmet is solidly embedded as the second tight end in Chicago behind Colston Loveland, the No. 10 overall pick in 2025. However, Kmet has shown the potential to be a No. 1 option before.
He tallied 73 receptions for 719 yards, both career highs, along with six TDs during the 2023 campaign. All told, Kmet has put up 288 catches for 2,939 yards and 21 scores across six years in the NFL (100 games played, 91 starts).
Kmet inked a four-year deal worth $50 million total in July of 2023 and is under contract with the Bears through 2027. He will play next season at 27 years old.
Kelce is back for his 14th campaign in Kansas City in 2026, but this could be it for the future Hall of Fame player. If the Chiefs were to acquire Kmet, he would be a great help to the offense this year while also serving as a potential TE1 in future seasons.
Bears Unlikely to Trade Cole Kmet Absent Significant Return
GettyTight end Cole Kmet of the Chicago Bears.
Kmet’s talent and production history, along with head coach Ben Johnson’s love of multiple-tight end sets, is likely to render Kmet an expensive acquisition.
Despite the presence of Loveland and Kmet already on the roster, the Bears prioritized the TE position by selecting Sam Roush 69th overall. Roush’s presence arguably renders Kmet more tradable, but it also equips Johnson’s offense for the kind of heavy-tight end versatility he favors.
“The Bears ran 501 plays with multiple tight ends last season, which was the third most of any team,” per ESPN. “Roush takes on the role occupied last season by Durham Smythe, which allowed Chicago to be in 13 personnel (one RB, one WR, three TEs) on 9% of their plays (fifth in NFL). The Stanford grad’s biggest attribute is his blocking.”
Because of how the Bears want to play offense, and how they can with Loveland, Kmet and Roush as the TE trio, the team isn’t liable to part with Kmet for anything less than premium draft capital.
The Chiefs picked in the top 10 this year and quarterback Patrick Mahomes may not start the season healthy, so there is potentially high upside value to Kansas City’s third-round pick in a stacked 2027 draft.
That said, Courtney Cronin of ESPN wrote Wednesday that Chicago probably won’t make a deal to move Kmet prior to next offseason, unless the suitor offers a real contributor at a position of need as part of the return.
“Barring a package that would include a position of need in return — such as a pass rusher — it doesn’t benefit the Bears’ offense to move Kmet before the 2026 season,” she contended.
Bears Trade Pitch Flips Cole Kmet to AFC Contender for Big-Time Draft Pick