Can the Bears afford to keep Cole Kmet in a talented tight end room?
Over the next few weeks, we will evaluate how each position group did over the past season and start looking toward the offseason. Here’s a look at the tight end room.
Tight ends
Returning players: Colston Loveland, Cole Kmet, Stephen Carlson, Qadir Ismail, Nikola Kalinic
Free agent: Durham Smythe
Looking back: Many analysts and fans questioned Poles in April when he selected Loveland at No. 10 overall in the draft. The Bears had needs on both lines, and some wondered whether Loveland was the best tight end in the draft.
Loveland lived up to his potential and became a game-changing target for quarterback Caleb Williams. After missing most of the offseason programs as he recovered from shoulder surgery, Loveland became a difficult target to stop later in the season because of his size, speed and precise route running.
He led the team with 713 receiving yards, which was the second most by a Bears rookie tight end behind Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (1,076), according to Stathead. Loveland had his breakout game when he caught the go-ahead touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9 and then came through with critical catches down the stretch and in the playoffs.
“I see him as a complete tight end, and I think that’s what makes him so dangerous is because he can wear so many hats,” Johnson said. “He’s not just a one-trick pony. And yet when we do ask him to run routes, he’s very difficult to match up with, and he gives teams problems.”
Loveland’s rise forced Kmet to adjust his role with the Bears. Kmet was supposed to get more targets when Johnson was hired after a 2024 when he was barely used.
He responded by becoming a dependable blocker in both the running game and pass protection. Kmet also came through with some meaningful catches, none bigger than the game-tying touchdown catch against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC divisional round. He caught 30 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns in the regular season.
Smythe fit his role during his first season in Chicago. He blocked well as the third tight end and caught four passes for 25 yards.
What’s next: Loveland’s emergence might force the Bears to make a tough decision in the tight end room.
Kmet is signed on with the Bears through 2027 after Poles rewarded him with a four-year extension in 2023. He will enter 2026 with an $11.6 million salary cap hit, which is the 11th-highest on the Bears roster according to Spotrac. Kmet will also carry a $3.2 million dead cap hit.
Although that’s not the highest on the team, Chicago might be forced to move on from Kmet or ask him to restructure his deal. The Bears will need to clear up salary-cap space to get under the ceiling. They’ll also need to make improvements on other parts of the roster. Kmet’s contract as the No. 2 tight end on the team might be too much to carry over into next season.
Regardless of what the Bears decide to do with Kmet, Loveland is clearly the future at tight end. Loveland will have an opportunity to become one of the best tight ends in the NFL with a full offseason ahead of him.
Smythe played his role well and could be a candidate to return next year, especially if the Bears do decide to move on from Kmet. Two tight end sets helped the Bears both in the run and pass games, and it will likely still be a key part of Johnson’s offense moving forward.