Panthers-Bears Cole Kmet Trade Proposal Would Give Carolina Legit TE Room

Adding Cole Kmet is stilll on the table after the NFL draft.

Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet (85) takes the field before the game against the Green Bay Packers | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

All offseason long, the Carolina Panthers have been linked to almost every single available tight end. They were linked to Darren Waller and David Njoku in free agency, both of whom are still available to sign right now.

They were mocked Kenyon Sadiq endlessly, though he never made it to the Panthers' pick, and they likely would've passed. They were also connected to Justin Joly, Eli Stowers, Oscar Delp, and others in the draft. They didn't take a single one.

The Panthers were also urged at various times to consider trading for Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet, most recently by Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox. One thing's for certain: that would seriously upgrade the tight end room.

Trading for Cole Kmet is still on the table for Panthers

Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet (85) makes a reception for a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Bleacher Report's Krisopher Knox pitched the Carolina Panthers as an ideal trade suitor for Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet. He was a popular choice to be traded before or during the draft, as he's a costly veteran and they have Colston Loveland.

Knox suggested all it would take is a conditional 2027 fifth-round pick, which the Panthers can absolutely afford. They've been throwing fourth and fifth-round picks at the tight end problem for years, so why not throw one at it with an established NFL player?

With Loveland and new rookie third-rounder Sam Roush, Chicago is overfull on tight ends. The Panthers, meanwhile, are not. They have three, but not one of them is on Kmet's level.

"Kmet has been a valuable pass-catching tight end for the Bears and has topped 500 receiving yards in three of his six seasons. He only turned 27 in March and should still have plenty of long-term value to teams other than Chicago," Knox wrote.

No tight end eclipsed 500 yards for the Panthers last year. The last time any tight end eclipsed 500 yards for Carolina was Greg Olsen in 2019. Kmet would obviously be a huge upgrade, and at that trade cost, it's worth the investment.

Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen (88) stands on the sidelines during the third quarter | Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images

The Bears did some contract restructuring to make Kmet less likely to be traded, but he's still a future cap casualty. When players reach that status, the team releasing them hardly ever gets anything, so why wouldn't Chicago take a draft pick for a player that's going to leave for nothing and isn't even the starter anymore?

The Panthers should do whatever they can to make this deal as soon as possible, because the tight end room they currently have is not remotely legitimate.