The Chicago Bears just lost tight end Cole Kmet for the season, but an opportunity to trade for someone even better could be right around the corner.
Kmet tore his ACL against the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football. Meanwhile, Detroit Lions former All-Pro tight end Sam LaPorta has dropped inflammatory comments amid what is clearly a contentious contract negotiation with his current team.
LaPorta is in the fourth and final year of his rookie deal and will become a free agent next spring if he doesn’t ink an extension before then, or if the Lions don’t apply the franchise tag to keep him. The latter isn’t out of the question given how good LaPorta is when fully healthy, which he has been all of this year and is trending toward a second Pro Bowl selection because of it.
Still, the type of comments LaPorta has made as recently as this week indicate that he might be ready to move on from Detroit as soon as he can. In turn, that could inspire the Lions to at least listen to offers from around the NFL given that their team is already incredibly expensive.
A few more high-end draft picks that allow the roster to get younger and cheaper, as well as potentially better a couple of years down the road, might look pretty good to head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes as the November 10 trade deadline approaches.
Cole Kmet Trade Candidate in 2027, as Bears Can Create TE Super Duo With Colston Lovleand, Sam LaPorta
A LaPorta deal, which would almost certainly cost Chicago a first-round pick, could make sense for multiple reasons.
First, Kmet is entering the final year of his contract in 2027. As good as he’s been, he doesn’t make sense on another deal like the four-year, $50 million one on which he’s currently playing.
Chicago is getting TE1 production from Colston Loveland, at least over the past two games, and doing so on a rookie-scale deal. The Bears also drafted rookie Sam Roush in the third round this year and added TE Hayden Large to the 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie.
If Kmet can return to his pre-injury form, he profiles as a strong trade candidate in Chicago. The Bears could send him to a team like the Chiefs, perhaps, that might be in need of a replacement for Travis Kelce next season for something like a fourth-round pick. That move, or a similar one, would also clear $10 million off Chicago’s salary cap for 2027.
Moving Kmet and elevating Roush to TE2 behind Loveland may have already been the plan before Kmet’s injury, though his absence throws a wrench into the 2026 campaign. As such, a hypothetical LaPorta deal now represents a Super Bowl-type swing for Chicago with potential upside moving forward.
A duo of LaPorta and Loveland would be on par with the arguably the best TE pairings in the history of the NFL.
The New England Patriots had incredible success with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez playing alongside one another, which is a problematic comparison for off-field reasons. But on the field, they were undeniably excellent. The Bears could find something like that with LaPorta and Loveland alongside wide receivers Luther Burden III and Rome Odunze.
Sam LaPorta Didn’t Mince Words When Calling Out Lions This Week
LaPorta suffered a back injury last season, which cost him eight contests after he had appeared in all but one game across his first two years in the league. The tight end referenced that injury specifically during an appearance on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take” earlier this week.
“I think the combination of getting your heartstrings twisted as well as the violent sport that we play, it sucks,” LaPorta explained. “And it’s disappointing that you go out there every week and you bear the risk of getting hurt. Like last year, whatever it was, Week 9, Week 10, I break my [expletive] back for the team. And then I’m going out there this year, and I’m balling, and maybe they’re just not showing the love.”
LaPorta has 27 catches for 316 yards and three TDs through Detroit’s five games this season. He produced 86 receptions for 889 yards and 10 scores as a rookie when he earned second-team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl nod in 2023.
Spotrac projects LaPorta’s market value at $45 million over a new three-year contract, which equates to $15 million annually.
Bears Trade Pitch Succeeds Cole Kmet With Projected $45 Million TE