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The Chicago Bears are entering a new era under head coach Ben Johnson. Chicago now has huge expectations heading into Johnson's first season with the Bears. But there are legitimate reasons for Bears fans to be optimistic about the future of the franchise. They could even make some noise in the NFC North this fall.
The Bears made some aggressive moves to upgrade the roster ahead of Johnson's first season. They started by rebuilding the interior of the offensive line, a must for protecting QB Caleb Williams. Chicago also added playmakers on both sides of the ball, which has the Bears looking more dangerous than ever just on paper.
Chicago also stuck the landing during the 2025 NFL Draft. The Bears added several talented players who should provide the foundation for the Johnson era.
Chicago's new coaching staff has already had the opportunity to get to know their new players. They now have a good idea what they've got after rookie minicamp, OTAs, and mandatory minicamp. But training camp is where the Bears will really start to put everything together.
There is no guarantee that Chicago will keep the roster the same before camp. Could they end up making a big trade? Even one involving important players?
Below we will explore one obvious Bears trade candidate heading into 2025 training camp.
How long will the Bears keep Cole Kmet after drafting Colston Loveland?
The Bears find themselves in an interesting situation with tight end Cole Kmet.
Kmet has been a reliable weapon for the Bears ever since being drafted back in 2020. He had a slow rookie season, but emerged in 2021 as a pass catching threat.
Kmet's best season came in 2023, when he hauled in 73 receptions for 719 yards and six touchdowns. As a result, Chicago handed Kmet a four-year, $50 million extension. The team was very different back then, but saw a promising future for Kmet.
Things have changed a lot just over the past few months.
Most notably, the Bears drafted tight end Colston Loveland in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Kmet admitted earlier in June that he was initially taken aback by the Loveland selection. But it seems like his head coach made him more comfortable with the move.
“I think at first, you're taken aback a little bit,” Kmet said, per team transcript. “But Ben (Johnson) was awesome about it in terms of calling me right away explaining the decision. From there you're just all on board and you understand their vision. You understand that there's going to be areas where we complement each other, then there's obviously — just like an any position room — there's going to be areas where we compete for things.”
Johnson used plenty of two tight end formations back in Detroit. There is reason to believe that Kmet and Loveland can coexist in Chicago's offense, at least in 2025. It is also worth noting that Kmet is more of a traditional Y tight end, whereas Loveland excels as a move tight end.
But Kmet is right to be worried about his long-term future with the Bears after the Loveland pick.
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Ultimately, it would be surprising to actually see the Bears trade Kmet away before the 2025 NFL season. That said, Kmet should be seriously on a hot seat following the 2025 season if he does not prove his worth.
If the Bears do part ways with Kmet during the 2025 season, it would likely be closer to the trade deadline.
Which NFL teams might be interesting in trading for Cole Kmet?
But which NFL teams would consider trading for Cole Kmet?
While Kmet is a starting-caliber Y tight end, he does not make sense for every NFL team.
The Bears would need to find a trade partner with a long-term need at tight end and both the cap space and draft capital needed to acquire him. That is no easy task.
For reference, Kmet comes with a cap hit of $11.6 million for the next three seasons. Any team trading for him will take on the lion's share of that cap hit.
Two teams that come to mind are the Chiefs and the Chargers.
First, this checks the unofficial box of trading Kmet outside of the NFC. This certainly isn't a necessity, but we see NFL teams do this all the time.
Let's start with the Chiefs.
It's only natural that the Chiefs would start to consider life without Travis Kelce. Kelce is officially on retirement watch and is coming to the end of his current contract. Kansas City would be smart to consider adding a bridge tight end for the 2026 season.
None of the Chiefs current backup tight ends (Noah Gray, Jared Wiley, Robert Tonyan) are talented enough to keep them from adding Kmet.
Meanwhile, the Chargers feel like an even better landing spot.
Los Angeles has plenty of cap space to spare, both now and in future seasons. They also have a head coach in Jim Harbaugh with a special appreciation for the tight end position.
The Chargers already have Will Dissly, Tyler Conklin, and Oronde Gadsden II at tight end. It's not fair to say they have a huge need at the position, but Kmet would obviously be the starter if he joined the Chargers.
LA could seriously consider acquiring a player like Kmet at the trade deadline. Especially if they are contending in the AFC like they did in 2024.
At the end of the day, Bears fans should not worry about a potential Kmet trade unless there are more signs of a divorce during the 2025 season.
