Bears More Likely to Extend Cole Kmet Than Trade Him This Offseason

It's no secret that the Chicago Bears are more than likely going to have to say goodbye to some important players this offseason. 

There have already been discussions about trading D.J. Moore and D'Andre Swift to free up cap space. Tremaine Edmunds was granted permission to seek a trade by the Bears recently. 

Trading or releasing Edmunds would give the Bears $15 million in cap space. 

There's another fan-favorite player who is still under contract and could be traded. Cole Kmet is still under contract and won't become a free agent until 2028. If the Bears did trade him, it would free up $8.4 million in cap space. (Via Over The Cap)

With the emergence of Colston Loveland in the tight end room, there has been speculation that the Bears could benefit from moving from Kmet. 

However, The Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs put those worries to rest on a recent appearance with 104.3. He believes trade with Kmet is unlikely because of his value not only as a receiver in the passing game but also as a blocker.  

Keeping someone like Kmet around also allows for Loveland to improve further. This could help Loveland continue to thrive with Kmet taking up blocks. 

"Yeah, really, I don't think that's likely," Biggs said. "But they're in a spot where you can't say impossible for most things, but I think they highly value Cole Kmet, and they're not evaluating him through the lens of fantasy football statistics, okay? Or No. 1 or No. 2. Cole's value, as a guy who can help you in the passing game, both catching and pass blocking when needed. His value in the run game was extremely valuable this offseason, third-ranked rushing offense in the league. The ability he had to handle some of those things in the run game are what allowed Colston Loveland, in part anyway, to steadily kind of gain and become more effective throughout the entire season. So, I would certainly be surprised if Cole Kmet's not on the roster this year, but you almost can't say never to about anyone." 

Biggs went on to say that he thought it's way more likely the Bears rework his contract through an extension to help with the cap. 

"I'd say one more thing, Cole," Biggs said. "If I had to rank a list of possible things that could happen with Cole. I'd think there's a greater possibility at some point, maybe not in the next couple weeks, but at some point they consider an extension for him to lower the cap hit." 

Kmet has been with Chicago since 2020 and has done a good job of making himself available, missing only a few games. 

He has 2,939 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns in his career as a Bear. This seems like a good middle ground so that a beloved player like Kmet can stay around, but without taking up too much cap space. 

Keeping a versatile tight end like Kmet around is definitely a plus. Even more so since he is a hometown product, hailing from Lake Barrington, Illinois.