Dan Morgan Carolina Panthers
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An analyst for Fox Sports thinks that the Carolina Panthers should make a trade with the Chicago Bears for tight end Cole Kmet.
Just a season after the Carolina Panthers were able to win the NFC South with an 8-9 record, the division is wide open once again. Of course, if the Panthers can keep improving gaps on their roster, this is a great opportunity to take over the division.
One of those gaps on the roster right now is the tight end position. This comes as putting playmakers around quarterback Bryce Young has quickly been put at a premium. Several mock drafts have had the Panthers addressing this issue through the mock draft. Now, Fox Sports analyst Ralph Vacchiano has his own idea. Trade for Cole Kmet.
Fox Sports Analyst Wants the Carolina Panthers to trade for Cole Kmet
Cole Kmet Chicago Bears
GettyChicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet
While drafting a tight end would be an interesting route for the Carolina Panthers to go. They have other options. That includes reaching out to the Chicago Bears about a trade for tight end Cole Kmet.
“It’s a make-or-break year for quarterback Bryce Young, and the Panthers have done a good job of surrounding him with receivers and running backs,” Vacchiano wrote. “But they don’t have a reliable target at tight end — often the best friend of an emerging quarterback.”
Cole Kmet is a former second-round pick out of Notre Dame who has spent his entire professional career in Chicago. At one point, that included three straight seasons with at least 50 receptions. However, he has seen some regression since those heights. In 2025, his production would hit its lowest point since his rookie season, snagging 30 receptions for 347 yards and 2 touchdowns.
That drop off in production is due, in part, to the emergence of Colston Loveland. Chicago could hold onto him while moving Kmet and his 4-year, $50 million contract extension that he signed back in 2023. Meanwhile, Kmet gets to reset, and the Panthers get a proven weapon at tight end.
“The emergence of Colston Loveland has made him an afterthought in Chicago. With two years and $20 million left on his contract, the Bears could be enticed to move on now,” Vacchiano wrote.
The Panthers Have Consistently Been Linked to Kenyon Sadiq in the NFL Draft
Kenyon Sadiq Oregon
GettyOregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq
In this year’s NFL Draft, Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq is widely seen as the top player at his position. So, given their need at the position, it’s no surprise that the Carolina Panthers are pretty consistently getting linked directly to him in mock drafts.
ESPN analyst Field Yates is among the most recent to make this connection. His latest mock draft has the Panthers going with Sadiq.
“Sadiq would add an element of explosive run-after-catch ability for Carolina, which needs another dynamic option next to wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan,”Yates wrote. “Sadiq had to bide his time at Oregon playing behind current Rams tight end Terrance Ferguson, but he led all FBS tight ends in receiving touchdowns in 2025 (eight). He more than holds his own as a blocker, too.”
If the Panthers were to make a trade for Cole Kmet, it would mean they could use the pick that has so often been tied to Sadiq for another position of need. It would also give them the flexibility to still draft Sadiq.