Chicago Bears’ Cole Kmet gets real on potential trade rumors

The Chicago Bears have some interesting decisions to make this offseason.

Projected to be upwards of $5.3 million over the cap, general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears will likely take a hard look at the roster, find players who could potentially restructure their current deal to create cap space, and shop others who might be more valuable as trade chips given the roster’s current construction.

One position that could face some significant scrutiny is at tight end, especially after rookie Colston Loveland’s dominant season that put him squarely in the mix for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Chicago Bears’ Cole Kmet opens up on trade speculation

After Loveland caught 58 passes for 713 yards and six touchdowns, emerging as one of quarterback Caleb Williams’ favorite target, there’s a chance that veteran Cole Kmet might be expendable.

Despite Kmet’s prowess as a blocker, he could be a player Poles looks to trade this offseason.

During an appearance on 104.3 The Score, Kmet admitted he thinks there’s a chance that he could be moved.

“Well, it’s definitely very real,” Kmet said. “I know it’s real because I’ve seen it happen before. That’s just the nature of the business in this league. Maybe, you know, you say nervous or scared, I would say like my first two years in the league it kind of catches you off guard of just how ruthless this business can be, but I think at this stage of my career, you’re kind of accepting of it and understanding that this is just part of the deal and especially a guy like myself or you know you’re talking about DJ or other guys who have played a little bit and you’re on a second deal, you know, unfortunately, as you age you get more expensive and you may not fit in that piece of the puzzle that I was talking about and that’s just the nature of the business.”

It’s entirely possible that Kmet gets dealt, but he also is a key piece of the offensive puzzle as a run-blocker, and still managed to catch 30 passes for 347 yards and two scores last season.

This could be an ideal time for the Bears to move on, though, because trading Kmet pre-June 1 would trigger a $3.2 million dead-money charge but free up $8.4 million in cap space. In an offseason where Poles and Chicago could prioritize finding spending flexibility, moving on from Kmet may be an option the Bears put on the front burner.

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