The Carolina Panthers should stay away from considering ESPN's latest suggest trade for the team.
Last season, the Carolina Panthers were able to squeak out an NFC South title win and made it into the playoffs. They were quickly eliminated in the Wild Card by the Los Angeles Rams, but the future looks brighter than it has in a long time.
Ahead of the upcoming 2026 season, expectations are much higher for the Panthers. Coming up short of the playoffs would be a major disappointment.
That being said, there are still question marks surrounding Carolina. The biggest question mark comes at the quarterback position.
Is Bryce Young truly good enough to be the Panthers' long-term franchise quarterback? Will he take another step in the right direction this season? Whatever the answer to those questions ends up being will decide the team's fate this year.
ESPN recently made a trade suggestion for Carolina to upgrade its offense.
NFL insider Jeremy Fowler suggested a trade between the Panthers and Chicago Bears that would send tight end Cole Kmet and a 2028 sixth-round pick to Carolina in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick.
While adding a tight end could be a consideration, the Panthers should steer clear of this trade idea.
Kmet is now 27 years old. Throughout his six-year career in Chicago, he has shown flashes of potential but consistency hasn't been apparent.
Last season, the Bears shifted to rookie Colston Loveland as their primary tight end. That led to a down year for Kmet with the tight end catching just 30 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns.
Throughout his entire career to this point in time, Kmet has totaled 100 games played. He has caught 288 passes for 2,939 yards and 21 touchdowns.
For Carolina to give up the kind of value suggested by Fowler, the team should be targeting a much more proven playmaker. Kmet isn't a bad tight end, but he certainly hasn't proven himself to be a game-changer.
At this stage, the Panthers are right on the edge of being a legitimate contender. They have to choose which players to pursue wisely. Kmet wouldn't be a bad addition, but the price tag would need to be much lower.
It will be interesting to see what the 2026 season has in store for Carolina. Fans have a new level of excitement about the Panthers, but the team can't reach to make moves that won't have a true winning impact.
