Cole Kmet Bears
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Cole Kmet was selected by the Chicago Bears as the 43rd overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Chicago Bears are in relatively uncharted waters. They are entering a pivotal season with Super Bowl aspirations after falling short in the Divisional Round playoff matchup to the Los Angeles Rams. In his first year as head coach, Ben Johnson established a culture and belief that were palpable and contagious. As a result, not only will many free agents be looking to join the Bears this offseason, but many players will be hoping to remain on the team. Unfortunately, the available funds are limited.
Ben Johnson even joked about trying to find a way to keep everyone from last year’s team on the roster. “I wish that there was some magic stick that you could just float on out there to make that happen,”Johnson said to the media at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.
The Bears currently have the seventh-least amount ofcap space in the league entering 2026. This has led many to believe that key contributors could becomecap casualties or trade candidates. Among those is six-year veteran tight end Cole Kmet. Bears general manager Ryan Poles just provided a clearer outlook on Kmet’s future amid rumors of his Chicago Departure.
When asked about Kmet’s future with the team,Poles answered positively at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. “I feel pretty good about the guys you mentioned being here.”
Colston Loveland’s Breakout Chicago Bears Season Fuels Kmet Rumors
Kmet and Loveland
GettyChicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet recorded 30 catches for 347 yards and two touchdowns during the 2025 NFL season.
While Poles was optimistic about Kmet’s return, he did preface that they are also receiving calls asking about the availability of several of their veteran players, including Kmet. Poles said that they would “have to sequence that out to see how it impacts our team”.
It sounds like the Bears trading Kmet would be more likely than him being an outright cut candidate. If the team were to move off of him, it would save them$8.4 million. Part of the reason they have the room to contemplate moving off of Kmet is because of the breakout of Colston Loveland last year.
Johnson began his first combinepress conference of the offseason by acknowledging that Loveland is going to be a big part of what the team expects to do moving forward.
Loveland recorded58 catches for 713 yards and six touchdowns in the regular season of his rookie year. He was an even bigger factor in the postseason, receiving 25 targets across two games and setting the rookie tight end record for themost receiving yards in the playoffs with 193.
Despite Loveland outpacing Kmet in the receiving game, his value goes beyond just his stats as a pass catcher.
Cole Kmet Provides Chicago Bears A Schematic Advantage
Bears personel groupings
GettyThe Chicago Bears ran both 12 and 13-personnel at the second-highest rates in the league last season.
One of the more unique questions Johnson was asked about at the combine was regarding the team’s heavy usage of12 and 13-personnel. These are both formations that require multiple tight ends to be on the field.
Johnson broke down how teams use 11 personnel a lot on first and second downs. 11 personnel utilizes one tight end, one running back, and three wide receivers. As a result defenses utilize a nickel defense, which prioritizes five defensive backs on the field, to counter all those pass catchers.
Johnson acknowledged that, as a result, the Bears use their heavy tight end sets to force defenses back into their base defense. This is because a smaller defensive back will have a more difficult time matching up with a bigger tight end, so it makes sense to sub in a linebacker to prevent gaps in the run game.
There are tight ends who can catch, and then there are tight ends who can block. Then there are some who can do both. Kmet is one of those players. This provides the Bears flexibility to be able switch between all those personnel groupings. This gives the Bears an advantage as they are able to dictate what opposing teams do on defense.
Johnson talked about his preference for having multiple tight ends that can do it all. “I do think having some versatility at that tight end position. That’s hard to find. We are certainly very fortunate to have a roster full of some really good players that we feel good about blocking inline to lining out wide as a receiver, to being back in the backfield. So when you have that versatility, it really opens up Pandora’s box.”
This statement really sums up the value that Kmet adds to the team. While his future still remains uncertain, Johnson’s and Poles’ combined comments provide positive insight into the likelihood that Kmet will remain with the team.