If you’re looking for reasons why the Chicago Bears have been so bad for so long, the obvious place to start is the NFL draft. We can point to 2025 as the latest example.
That was when the Bears drafted Michigan tight end Colston Loveland at No. 10 overall despite already having an elite tight end on the roster with 26-year-old Cole Kmet, who signed a 4-year, $50 million contract extension before the 2023 season.
Loveland and Kmet are essentially the same player. Both are 6-foot-6 with Loveland at 241 pounds and Kmet around 250 pounds. Both are super athletic tight ends who can stretch the field.
In 2024, Kmet had 47 reception for 474 yards and 4 touchdowns as the Bears went 5-12 — they haven’t had a winning season since 2018.
In 2024, in his final season at Michigan, Loveland had 56 receptions for 582 yards and 5 touchdowns.
For a team that needs help almost everywhere on the field, doubling up at one where you actually had a good player in place doesn’t make sense. It’s also made the Bears likely to unload Kmet this season at some point — and probably at a greatly reduced price.
Commanders Could Land Kmet in Trade
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox thinks the Washington Commanders could be a prime candidate to land Kmet in a trade, with compensation in the form of a 2026 fifth round pick.
Kmet, who is due $10 million in 2025, might actually be a prime candidate for a midseason trade if the Bears struggle.
“Kmet could be available for a strong offer, and his availability will only increase if Chicago pushes toward the trade deadline without a winning record,” Knox wrote on September 3 … Given his production and age (26), his value should be closer to what we saw Deebo Samuel command (5th-round pick) than what the Miami Dolphins got for tight end Jonnu Smith (6th-round pick).”
The Commanders have spent the offseason making trades to upgrade their offense, getting Samuel from the San Francisco 49ers and left offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil from the Houston Texans. Washington also drafted Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. in the first round.
Things Could Get Messy For Commanders at TE
You can make an argument that while the Commanders have a strong 3-deep at tight end … they also really don’t.
In 2024, Washington took a chance on soon-to-be 35-year-old veteran tight end Zach Ertz with a 1-year, $3 million contract and watched him breathe life back into his career with 66 receptions for 654 yards and 7 touchdowns. He also started every regular season game for the first time since 2018 after missing a combined 17 games with the Arizona Cardinals in 2022 and 2023.
While Ertz is back on a 1-year, $6 million contract for 2025, the Commanders also have arguably the NFL’s best blocking tight end in John Bates, who just signed a 3-year, $21 million contract on March 10.
Even more than that, the Commanders spent a 2024 second round pick (No. 53 overall) on tight end Ben Sinnott, who struggled as a rookie with just 5 receptions for 28 yards and 1 touchdown in 17 games.
Having a reliable pass catching option besides Ertz at tight end — even if it’s a costly one like Kmet — might be a smart move.
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