Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet hasn't had a great offseason.
Sure, the hiring of Ben Johnson as head coach was initially viewed as a boost to his pass-catching stock, but things took a turn for the worse when GM Ryan Poles selected Michigan tight end Colson Loveland with the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
While Loveland's arrival doesn't mark the end of Kmet's tenure as the Bears' starter -- he'll have a well-defined role in Johnson's offense -- it does signal a likely cap on the damage he can do as a receiver.
The good news for Kmet is that his bank account won't depend on his production over the next year or so. He already signed a four-year, $50 million extension before his outlook as a money-making receiver turned bleak. But it's that same $50 million deal that now has him viewed as one of the most overpaid players in the NFL.
Yikes.
In a recent breakdown of the league's most bloated contracts, Kmet took the crown at tight end.
"Kmet is a good player and a fan favorite in Chicago," Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport wrote. "And despite all the trade speculation, he isn't especially likely to be moved. But when the seventh-highest paid tight end in the league isn't even the best player at the position on your team, something is out of whack."
Kmet survived a bizarre wave of trades between the Dolphins, Steelers, and Giants that involved tight ends Jonnu Smith and Darren Waller, likely taking him out of this offseason's trade circuit. Kmet will be a Bear in 2025, there's no doubt about that.
Cole Kmet is one of the good guys on the Bears' roster. He's a proven leader whose work ethic and passion for the game are undeniable. Hopefully, he'll be a Bear for a long time. But the NFL is a business, after all, and if Chicago looks to cut costs anytime soon, Kmet could be the first one to go.
