The Chicago Bears turned plenty of heads when they took Colston Loveland with the No. 12 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Tight end was a potential position to revamp, but Tyler Warren was the odds-on favorite to be the first tight end off the board.
Now, four weeks into the NFL season, it might finally be time to unleash the rookie tight end to see what he's capable of. That's especially after watching Cole Kmet struggle to get much going in Loveland's absence in Week 4. If that's the case, then there won't be many reasons to hold onto Kmet for much longer.
Cole Kmet is an Obvious Trade Candidate
For years, Bears fans have waited for Cole Kmet to take a big leap and become a consistent contributor to the offense. He has shown glimpses of great play, but even though he's by no means unplayable, he's been pretty average at best.
That has been the case again to start the season. The fact that he posted a season-high of just 46 receiving yards in Week 4 should tell a lot about his production. Also, he was flagged twice, had one crucail drop, and failed to keep Caleb Williams out of harm's way in the win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He had three receptions on nine targets.
That production -- or lack thereof -- might have been the straw that broke the camel's back, as it's now become painfully evident that he's never going to step up as the pass-catching threat the Bears hoped he'd be.
Even so, pass-catching tight ends don't grow in trees, and there's certainly no surplus of those around the league. Consindering that, multiple teams should be keeping an eye on him if the Bears decide that it's finally time to pull the plug on him.
Ben Johnson has brought in Colston Loveland slowly, but the Michigan product has shown that he can be a big threat after the catc, not to mention a perennial mismatch on the open field. The Bears could use him as Johnson's new version of Sam LaPorta.
He's now had a full week to get closer to full strength and get a better understanding of the offense, and with his veteran teammate not looking like a long-term answer at the position, he should only get more involved in the passing game when the team returns from the bye in Week 6.