With Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland leading the team in receiving yards in his rookie season, general manager Ryan Poles has a big decision to make on Cole Kmet’s future this offseason.
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Kmet and wide receiver DJ Moore are two veteran pass catchers that could be on the move as young targets like Loveland, Rome Odunze, and Luther Burden III are expected to earn greater roles in head coach Ben Johnson’s offense in 2026.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune thinks Kmet’s value to the Bears is understated by receiving statistics. He was a big part of the running game last season.
However, during a recent appearance on 670 The Score, Biggs didn’t rule out the possibility of the Bears trading the tight end. But he thinks it’s more likely that Poles tries to extend Kmet’s contract this offseason to make his cap hit lower.
Kmet’s contract runs through the 2027 season. Biggs thinks any hiccup in extending the tight end would be that Kmet might not want to offer the Bears a hometown discount in the prime of his career.
It would be a test of the 2024 team captain’s loyalty.
Chicago Bears could test Cole Kmet’s loyalty
Nov 9, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet (85) runs after a catch against the Carolina Panthers during the third quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports
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“If I had to rank a list of possible things that could happen with Cole, I think there’s a greater possibility at some point, maybe not in the next couple of weeks, but at some point they consider an extension for him to lower the cap hit,” Biggs said. Keep him, get him under contract for a couple more years, then unload him.
“Now, the problem, or the challenge, for the team with the extension would be he’s still going to be in the prime of his career when this contract is complete at the end of next season. So I can’t imagine Cole Kmet is looking to hand out some discounted years starting in 2028, but that’s for that conversation for another day.”
Kmet, a 2020 second-round pick by the Bears, recorded 30 receptions for 347 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games played last season. He’s earned 288 receptions for 2,939 yards and 21 touchdowns in his career.
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