The Chicago Bears have surrounded Caleb Williams with a surplus of passing weapons heading into his sophomore season. With the Bears drafting Michigan tight end Colston Loveland (who was a dream LA Chargers target) in the first round, tight end Cole Kmet suddenly finds himself on the outside looking in.
Ironically enough, the Chargers may still benefit from Loveland's presence in the NFL. Instead of drafting him in the first round, the Chargers could bolster the tight end position thanks to his place as the Bears' new TE1.
Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox recently broke down 10 players on the NFL trade block following the NFL Draft and listed Bears tight end Cole Kmet as the No. 7 option. More notably, Knox named the Chargers as a potential suitor.
"Kmet has three years left on his contract with cap hits of $11.6 million in each season. Chicago might not want to pay that much for a No. 2 tight end," Knox writes. "The Chargers could also look to add Kmet as a more dynamic pass-catcher than Tyler Conklin or Will Dissly. Kmet has 258 catches for 2,592 yards and 19 touchdowns in his five NFL seasons."
Chargers named a trade suitor for Bears' Cole Kmet
The Bears don't have to trade Kmet as the team has the resources to keep him on the roster. However, if Loveland clearly shows he is ready for a prominent role as the TE1 in camp, Chicago may entertain trade offers if the price is right.
This is something that likely wouldn't happen until right before the start of the 2025 season. However, if it is a possibility, the Chargers should be all over the prospect of trading for Kmet to bolster the passing offense.
Kmet would provide a massive boost to the passing game and would instantly slot in as the best weapon in the tight end room. As high as fans are on sixth-round pick Oronde Gadsden II, expecting a day-three pick to be an instant contributor on offense is expecting disappointment.
The Chargers can afford to absorb Kmet's contract and have the draft capital to get it done. Kmet's price on the open market likely wouldn't be very high, and at the very most, would likely cost a conditional fifth-round pick. That is doable for the Bolts.
At only 26 years old, Kmet's best days may still be ahead of him. With Justin Herbert throwing him passes, Kmet may reach an entirely new level Bears fans didn't know was possible.
Hopefully, the Bears don't choose to spend over $11 million on someone who will be the TE2 behind the team's recent first-round pick. As long as that doesn't happen, the Chargers will have an enticing trade target to inquire about before the start of the 2025 season.