Bear Digest

Chicago Bears Trade Buzz Builds Around Former Offensive Cornerstone This Offseason

A once-foundational Chicago Bears starter is now at the center of offseason trade chatter as cap pressures mount.
Bryan Perez|
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The Chicago Bears head into the 2026 NFL offseason facing several key decisions, including an increasingly uncertain outlook for veteran tight end Cole Kmet.

Once considered a long-term cornerstone in Chicago, Kmet's outlook has shifted with the rise of first-round pick Colston Loveland. He's no longer the Bears' primary pass-catching tight end, and although he won't turn 27 until March, there's a growing sense that his time in Chicago could be nearing its end.

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That's not an indictment of Kmet's play or his presence in the locker room. He's widely considered one of the Bears' leaders. But with Loveland now commanding the bulk of the tight end targets and Kmet carrying an $11.6 million cap hit in 2026, the veteran has become a logical salary-cap casualty and an increasingly realistic trade candidate as the offseason unfolds.

As for what the Chicago Bears could get in return for Kmet? Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox suggests GM Ryan Poles could net a fifth-rounder for the former Golden Domer.

"While Kmet saw a greatly reduced role during Loveland's rookie campaign, he has three 500-yard campaigns on his resume and will turn just 27 in March," Knox wrote. "He can be a solid long-term starter for a team in need of a pass-catching tight end."

As for a potential trade partner? It's a team the Bears are familiar with: the Carolina Panthers.

"The Carolina Panthers should be interested in adding a tight end of Kmet's caliber," Knox wrote. "Carolina won the NFC South and appears poised to take another positive step. However, it could use a more dynamic tight end to aid quarterback Bryce Young."

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While losing a locker room leader would sting in the short term, shedding Kmet's salary while adding a mid-Day 3 pick could ultimately give the Bears more long-term flexibility as they continue to reshape the roster.

Whether Cole Kmet is a Chicago Bear in 2026 may have less to do with performance and more to do with accounting. In a salary-cap-driven league, he's the type of player who can become a casualty of the business side of the sport.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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