Bears’ offseason solution with Cole Kmet is staring them right in the face by stealing a strategic approach from an AFC team
Another extension for Cole Kmet could be the best thing for all parties this offseason.
The Chicago Bears are going to start having to make some big decisions over the next few weeks and the time to do so is coming up faster than you think.
Last offseason, the Bears made roster cuts on Feb. 21 which is two weeks from today. This offseason, the Bears have some obvious cut candidates that make sense with the main one being linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
Another cut candidate listed for the Bears by Over The Cap was tight end Cole Kmet but the conversation regarding his future is a bit more complicated and can easily be solved with another method that would be best for all parties involved.
Extending Cole Kmet might be a logical option for the Bears to look into this offseason
On paper, it looks like the Bears are going to part ways in some fashion with Kmet to help alleviate the salary cap issues and moving on his a common path fans are looking to make, and it’s something Kmet himself is aware of as a possibility.
“Well it definitely is very real,” Kmet explained. “I know it’s real because I’ve seen it happen before. I mean, that’s just the nature of the business in this league… However it works out, it works out. For me personally, I felt like I did a lot of good things this year in the role I was in and had a lot of fun playing with this team.”
After drafting Colston Loveland in the first-round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Kmet’s days in Chicago seemed to be numbered and seeing Loveland’s impact throughout the season reinforced that belief. Beyond the stat sheet though, Kmet still proved to be a valuable part of the team’s offense that would be hard to replace if the team decides to move on.
The solution is actually simple and the exact scenario the Buffalo Bills were in back in 2024. Originally, the Bills were committed to tight end Dawson Knox by handing him a four-year, $52 million extension in 2022. Those plans changed when the team drafted Dalton Kincaid in the first-round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Instead of moving on from Knox after the 2023 season, the Bills made a strategic move by handing Knox a new three-year, $29.5 million deal.
The blueprint is there for the Bears to follow a similar path with Kmet this offseason.
What a new extension for Cole Kmet would look like and how it can help the Bears
Looking at Kmet’s current contract, he’s still on the books for two more seasons with an $11.6 million cap hit in each of those two seasons, but with no guaranteed money remaining. Usually, that’s a recipe for a player to get cut, but again Kmet is too valuable to go that route and still young considering he’s 26-years-old.
The going rate for a non-elite starting TE1 is around $13 million based on recent contracts signed by Mark Andrews, Jake Ferguson, Jonnu Smith, and Dalton Schultz. It’s hard to say Kmet falls in that category anymore given his new role with Loveland in the fold, so to me, a three-year $30 million extension makes sense.
That would reward Kmet with more guaranteed money and allow him to remain in Chicago. For the Bears, a new deal allows the team to move his 2026 base salary into future years, which would then lower his cap hit for 2026. In total, Kmet would be under contract for five seasons and on a more cost-friendly deal with the team.
Given Kmet’s desire to stay in Chicago, this could be an option the Bears bring to the table this offseason that all parties would be on-board with.
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