Travis Kelce has at least one year left in his NFL career, but with his 36th birthday approaching in October and just one season remaining on his current contract, there is a chance that 2025 is it for the future Hall of Fame tight end.
In that context, the time has already arrived for the Kansas City Chiefs to start thinking about a succession plan. The team's group of pass-catchers wasn't particularly impressive or productive last season, and a second tight end could open up options for head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes similar to those that Bill Belichick and Tom Brady took advantage of for years in New England absent top-end wide receivers.
The Chicago Bears just drafted Colston Loveland out of Michigan with the No. 10 pick, which potentially puts Cole Kmet on the trade block this summer. New head coach Ben Johnson also favored two tight-end sets during the past three season as the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator, but Kmet makes a considerable amount of money via his four-year contract worth $50 million total.
Tight end Cole Kmet of the Chicago Bears.
Tight end Cole Kmet of the Chicago Bears.
Getty Images
That deal may make more sense in Kansas City for an heir apparent to Kelce than it does for a productive 26-year-old No. 2 in Chicago, even one who will likely play far more snaps than the average backup tight end.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report assembled a trade big board on June 21 following the conclusion of minicamps around the NFL and named Kmet as the No. 3 player on that list.
There are a few reasons why Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet could be on the move sooner than later—even though he has three years remaining on his contract.
The 26-year-old is also set to carry a cap hit of $11.6 million in each of the next three seasons, which is a lot for a second tight end. Chicago could save $10 million in 2025 cap space by trading him.
The Kansas City Chiefs should also consider taking a flier on Kmet if he's available. ... The Chiefs could view Kmet as a potential successor to Kelce and a great complementary option behind Kelce, along with Noah Gray.
Kmet has been an ironman, playing in every game since the Bears drafted him in 2020 and starting all but eight of those 84 contests.
He has produced 258 receptions for 2,592 yards and 19 touchdowns over the course of his five-year NFL career.