Steelers Now
CBS Sports identified tight end Cole Kmet as a new potential trade target for the Pittsburgh Steelers to add more offensive weapons.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in the market for additional offensive weapons. After being linked to Miami Dolphins’ tight end Jonnu Smith, it was revealed Donald Parham suffered a season-ending injury. Recently, CBS Sports writer Cody Benjamin identified a dark horse tight end candidate in Cole Kmet.
Pittsburgh has been linked to Smith and Atlanta’s Kyle Pitts–both of whom previously played for offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. The Steelers run multiple tight end sets among the highest in the NFL; a calling card of Smith’s.
Benjamin ran down a list of pass catchers the Steelers may be interested in. Among those, he listed Kmet as the only tight end.
“The Bears all but proclaimed a new face of their tight end position by spending a first-round pick on Colston Loveland this year, and while Kmet still has the benefit of legitimate NFL experience, it’s very possible new coach Ben Johnson will lean all the way into Loveland out of the gate,” Benjamin wrote. “In that case, perhaps the Steelers would be interested in pairing Kmet with Pat Freiermuth, especially if the price is lower than, say, acquiring Kyle Pitts from the Atlanta Falcons. Kmet logged at least 50 catches in three straight seasons from 2021-2023.”
Kmet could be a logical fit based on that line of thought. However, he is an expensive tight end to trade for. According to Over The Cap, if traded, he would bring a $10M cap hit this year. The Steelers currently have $19M in cap space after the Aaron Rodgers deal.
Keep in mind that the Steelers want to extend T.J. Watt, which likely eats into that $19M space. Others are also in line for extensions.
While an acquisition of Kmet won’t be completely ruled out, based on the current cap space and draft capital, it’s unlikely at this time. Pittsburgh may wait until the preseason before making any more trades.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: New Tight End Target Named for Steelers
