With the close of every NFL Draft comes the reality that not every player is celebrating his team's early-round selections. For the Chicago Bears and the 2025 NFL Draft, this could be especially true for one respected veteran starter.
Tight end Cole Kmet has emerged in recent seasons as one of the Bears' locker room leaders and was rewarded by GM Ryan Poles with a four-year, $50 million contract for his solid play early in his career. But Chicago's decision to select Michigan tight end Colston Loveland in the first round -- No. 10 overall -- has sparked speculation about Kmet's short and long-term role on the roster.
Sure, coach Ben Johnson is expected to deploy two-tight-end sets as part of his play-calling wizardry, but there's no doubt that the top pass-catching tight end on the roster is now Loveland, which makes Kmet seem like an overpaid role player entering the phase of his contract where Poles can move on at the end of the season without much salary cap pain.
As a result, Kmet was recently named the Bears' most expendable player following the 2025 NFL Draft.
"It’s entirely possible Johnson intends to pair Loveland and Kmet together and play both significant snaps," Pro Football Network wrote. "However, the Bears also drafted receiver Luther Burden III in the second round and have a host of other veteran receivers that could allow Chicago to lean into 11 personnel more successfully than last year.
"Kmet is likely no higher than fourth in the receiving pecking order, and potentially fifth depending on Burden’s development. A post-June 1 trade would save the Bears $10 million in cap space, and the dead money would be a minuscule $1.6 million each of the next three years. With three years left of team control, the 26-year-old Kmet could likely fetch a solid return if the Bears pull the plug."
While it seems counterintuitive for the Bears to move on from a player who's critical to the overall culture of the locker room, at some point, the dollars have to make sense. And while Kmet does bring value on the field as a well-rounded, do-it-all tight end, the Bears have made it very clear that they wanted an upgrade for Caleb Williams to target. And that's Loveland.
Kmet should be safe for 2025. But beyond that? It's anyone's guess.
