Popular Chicago Bears Starter Could Be on the Chopping Block This Offseason

The Bears have several potential salary-cap casualties this offseason, including this popular veteran starter.

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bears are walking a financial fine line entering the 2026 NFL offseason. After a breakthrough year in 2025, general manager Ryan Poles' goal over the next few months is clear: add to the core of this team and go from a team good enough to make the playoffs to a squad that can legitimately win the Super Bowl.

However, difficult decisions are looming for Poles, and one of them is what to do with veteran tight end Cole Kmet.

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Bleacher Report recently identified Kmet as a potential cap casualty with Chicago, and the logic is hard to ignore. A pre-June 1 release would free up $8.4 million in cap space, which is a significant amount for a team like the Bears, which could use as much financial breathing room as possible.

Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet (85) reacts after making a touchdown catch. Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images. | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

The emergence of first-round pick Colston Loveland dramatically shifted Kmet's short- and long-term outlook. Loveland didn't just flash upside, he became the go-go-guy for Caleb Williams over the last few games and in the 2025 playoffs. He finished the 2025 season as the Bears' leading receiver, establishing himself as a mismatch nightmare.

With that in mind, paying Kmet $11.6 million in 2026 seems like an unnecessary luxury.

That doesn't mean Kmet is suddenly expendable from a football standpoint. He remains a respected locker-room leader, a reliable in-line blocker, and a quarterback-friendly safety valve. Ben Johnson and the rest of the Bears' coaches trust him. But the business side of football can be ruthless, and tight end is not a premium position when salary cap space is tight.

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Indeed, the Chicago Bears could attempt to keep both Kmet and Loveland by reworking the veteran's deal, but even that comes with a cost. Poles has other needs he must address, like pass rusher and safety. It certainly feels like the latter will be the priority.

It's why Cole Kmet's situation is so delicate. Cutting him isn't about poor performance. Instead, it's about the finances and economics of the Bears' tight end room. Colston Loveland is the future at the position, and with that bright future could come the dim end of Kmet's time in Chicago.

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