Cole Kmet has emerged as one of the bright spots for the Chicago Bears over the past decade. His consistent performance on the field, coupled with his adaptability and leadership in the locker room, are key factors why the team showed its confidence in him with a contract extension. Despite a hiccup in his 2024 season, marked by 474 yards and four touchdowns, much of this can be chalked up to a flawed offensive scheme compounded by the challenges of integrating a rookie quarterback.
At 26, Kmet is hitting his athletic prime and remains a valuable asset to the Bears, both in terms of talent and financial viability. There’s no obvious reason to believe that Kmet is on shaky ground with the organization. However, former NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert, who now provides analysis for Bleacher Report, has stirred the pot with his prediction that Kmet might be on the chopping block for a potential cut or trade in the coming months.
Benkert's alarming prediction, however, seems to miss the mark in several key areas.
The financial aspects don’t support the idea of cutting ties with Kmet. The Bears currently have a comfortable cap situation with over $14.7 million available.
This cushion is more than sufficient to cover their draft class and allow for any minor roster adjustments throughout the season. Cutting Kmet would result in negligible savings – a mere $100,000 in cap space.
Instead, trading him is the only scenario that might make some financial sense, potentially freeing up $10 million and netting a draft pick in return.
Ultimately, Kmet still presents as a solid contributor on the field. There's no indication that he can't thrive alongside rookie Colston Loveland within the Bears' offensive framework.
The notion of parting ways with Kmet lacks weight unless he explicitly seeks a departure from the team himself. This expectation seems out of step with the current dynamics within the Bears' camp and Kmet’s role in their plans moving forward.
