Cole Kmet

Career StatsB

Year	Team	GP	Rec	Yards	TD
Career		100	288	2,939	21
2025		16	30	347	2
2024		17	47	474	4
2023		17

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Chicago Bears got a C+ Contract Value Index out of the Cole Kmet signing because the guaranteed money matches the production tier. At $12.5 million annually over four years, Kmet's deal sits squarely at market rate for a tight end of his caliber — a reliable starter with 347 receiving yards in 2025 across 16 games, but one who has never cracked the upper tier of his position. The contract itself is neither a bargain nor an albatross; it represents fair value for a six-year veteran at 27 years old whose production has been competent and durable without breaking through to Pro Bowl or All-Pro distinction. What complicates the value picture is the organizational uncertainty layered atop these numbers: the Bears' recent transaction activity — focused on defensive and offensive line reinforcements, paired with explicit trade exploration involving Kmet — signals that front office confidence in him has waned, making it difficult to assess whether the team will extract four more years of above-average output or face a decline in return on capital. The C+ verdict reflects that the dollars and production align fairly today, but the organizational drift and trade-market speculation create genuine downside risk that a less divisive starter might not carry. Unless Kmet lands with a team that views him as a long-term cornerstone, this contract will likely be shed or traded before its full term, reducing its ultimate value to the Bears.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the C band — a quick read on where Cole's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Cole Kmet delivers production that earns a B performance grade against TE comps. The 27-year-old six-year veteran posted 347 receiving yards across all 16 games in the 2025 season, a volume that reflects steady availability without explosive upside — he's a durable, reliable option who shows up for nearly every game but hasn't elevated his output to franchise-cornerstone levels. His receiving yards remain his primary asset; the tackle contribution (1 in 2025) signals limited involvement in run defense, which is not uncommon for pass-catching specialists at the position. What's striking, however, is the disconnect between his durability—16 full games played—and the underwhelming offensive production attached to that presence, a gap that's intensified the organizational scrutiny evident in recent trade speculation. Kmet enters a precarious moment as a competent but incrementally declining contributor whose $12.5M salary has begun to outpace his on-field return, and with the Bears visibly exploring alternatives rather than reinforcing his role, his standing within the organization appears fundamentally weakened despite his longevity in Chicago.

How Cole Compares at the Position

Cole Kmet ranks 27th of 164 graded tight ends by performance. That slots Cole between Theo Johnson (B) just ahead and Mike Gesicki (B) just behind.

Current Sentiment

Chicago Bears fans and writers have settled into a D- sentiment grade on Cole Kmet. The dominant narrative around the six-year veteran entering the 2026 offseason is one of organizational drift rather than organizational confidence — trade speculation linking him to multiple teams, draft visits at the tight end position, and persistent chatter about fit have created a pervasive sense that the Bears front office has quietly moved on from a $12.5M annual commitment. That perception finds some grounding in his 2025 production: 347 receiving yards across 16 games reads as competent volume but underwhelming efficiency for a player eating into Chicago's salary structure, especially when stacked against the B-grade performance standard the tight end position demands. The Bears' recent transaction activity — focused on defensive and offensive line signings, with conspicuous silence on any move to reinforce Kmet's standing — has only cemented the displacement narrative; no positive offseason update has shifted the needle against a tide of trade rumors and organizational ambivalence. Right now Kmet occupies the most uncomfortable roster position in football: too expensive to retain without justification, and sitting in a trade market that doesn't appear eager to absorb his deal.