ClutchPoints
The Chicago Bears are entering a new era under head coach Ben Johnson. Chicago now has huge expectations heading into Johnson’s first season with the Bears. But there are legitimate reasons for Bears fans to be optimistic about the future of the franchise. They could even make some noise in the NFC North this fall.
The Bears made some aggressive moves to upgrade the roster ahead of Johnson’s first season. They started by rebuilding the interior of the offensive line, a must for protecting QB Caleb Williams. Chicago also added playmakers on both sides of the ball, which has the Bears looking more dangerous than ever just on paper.
Chicago also stuck the landing during the 2025 NFL Draft. The Bears added several talented players who should provide the foundation for the Johnson era.
Chicago’s new coaching staff has already had the opportunity to get to know their new players. They now have a good idea what they’ve got after rookie minicamp, OTAs, and mandatory minicamp. But training camp is where the Bears will really start to put everything together.
There is no guarantee that Chicago will keep the roster the same before camp. Could they end up making a big trade? Even one involving important players?
Below we will explore one obvious Bears trade candidate heading into 2025 training camp.
The Bears find themselves in an interesting situation with tight end Cole Kmet.
Kmet has been a reliable weapon for the Bears ever since being drafted back in 2020. He had a slow rookie season, but emerged in 2021 as a pass catching threat.
Kmet’s best season came in 2023, when he hauled in 73 receptions for 719 yards and six touchdowns. As a result, Chicago handed Kmet a four-year, $50 million extension. The team was very different back then, but saw a promising future for Kmet.
Things have changed a lot just over the past few months.
Most notably, the Bears drafted tight end Colston Loveland in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Kmet admitted earlier in June that he was initially taken aback by the Loveland selection. But it seems like his head coach made him more comfortable with the move.
“I think at first, you’re taken aback a little bit,” Kmet said, per team transcript. “But Ben (Johnson) was awesome about it in terms of calling me right away explaining the decision. From there you’re just all on board and you understand their vision. You understand that there’s going to be areas where we complement each other, then there’s obviously — just like an any position room — there’s going to be areas where we compete for things.”
Johnson used plenty of two tight end formations back in Detroit. There is reason to believe that Kmet and Loveland can coexist in Chicago’s offense, at least in 2025. It is also worth noting that Kmet is more of a traditional Y tight...
