Jan. 31, 2026, 6:05 a.m. ET
Could the Carolina Panthers and the Chicago Bears link up for another deal involving a productive pass catcher?
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report recently matched some of this offseason’s top trade candidates with their ideal landing spots. And with the Panthers desperately needing some numbers out of the tight end position, Knox connects them to former second-round pick Cole Kmet:
While Kmet saw a greatly reduced role during [Colston] Loveland’s rookie campaign, he has three 500-yard campaigns on his resume and will turn just 27 in March. He can be a solid long-term starter for a team in need of a pass-catching tight end.
The Carolina Panthers should be interested in adding a tight end of Kmet’s caliber. Carolina won the NFC South and appears poised to take another positive step. However, it could use a more dynamic tight end to aid quarterback Bryce Young.
Carolina hasn’t gotten a season of at least 400 receiving yards out of one of their tight ends since 2019. (Yeah, when Greg Olsen was still around.)
Kmet, meanwhile, has hit that mark in four of his six campaigns since entering the league in 2020. 2025 saw the 26-year-old amass 347 receiving yards, which—even in taking a backseat to Loveland—cleared all of the Panthers’ tight ends.
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