The Chicago Bears have begun their cap-clearing measures. Drew Dalman’s retirement kick-started things, freeing up what should be $14 million in space. Next came wide receiver D.J. Moore, traded to the Buffalo Bills along with a 5th round pick for a 2nd round pick. That frees up $16.5 million. Most recently, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds was released, accounting for another $15 million. The Bears are now under the cap, so most people assume there won’t be any further player cuts or trades. That might’ve been a miscalculation based on the new rumor surrounding tight end Cole Kmet and running back D’Andre Swift.
Bears fans are likely aware of Benjamin Allbright. He covers the Denver Broncos for KOA Colorado but is widely known as one of the more plugged-in NFL insiders in the business. Recently, he revealed that Chicago is the preferred destination for defensive end Maxx Crosby, but it appears his bombshells didn’t stop there. He recently tweeted something that drops a massive suggestion that Kmet and Swift might not be around much longer
Trading Cole Kmet and D’Andre Swift would be bold.
It is difficult to see the logic at first glance. Kmet was excellent as the Bears’ #2 tight end, making some big-time catches while serving as a quality blocker. His versatility was incredibly valuable to head coach Ben Johnson. Swift also had the best season of his career, with 1,087 yards and nine touchdowns. Why would the Bears look to unload both players if they were such big parts of the team’s success last season? That is a question with a couple of answers.
First is money. Unloading both players would net the Bears another $15.8 million in cap space. Both combine to count $20 million against the cap this year. It’s possible Johnson doesn’t feel either player is worth the money they’re being paid. Cole Kmet isn’t the primary option at tight end, but is being paid like it. We already know the head coach isn’t the biggest Swift fan, having signed off on trading him back when he was offensive coordinator in Detroit. This is not a new situation.
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| Player | Year | Traded From | Traded To | Age at Trade | Trade Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Mixon | 2024 | Cincinnati Bengals | Houston Texans | 27 | Traded for a 2024 seventh-round pick. |
| Jordan Howard | 2019 | Chicago Bears | Philadelphia Eagles | 27 | Traded for a 2020 conditional sixth-round pick. |
| DeMarco Murray | 2016 | Philadelphia Eagles | Tennessee Titans | 27 | Traded along with a fourth-round pick for a higher fourth-round pick. |
| LeSean McCoy | 2015 | Philadelphia Eagles | Buffalo Bills | 27 | Traded in a player-for-player swap for linebacker Kiko Alonso. |
| Thomas Jones | 2007 | Chicago Bears | New York Jets | 27 | Traded with a second-round pick for a higher second-round pick. |
| Clinton Portis | 2004 | Denver Broncos | Washington Commanders | 27 | Traded for cornerback Champ Bailey and a second-round pick. |
Johnson already did a similar purge in 2023.
It’s eerie how similar the situation was. Detroit traded tight end T.J. Hockenson at the 2022 deadline, then drafted Sam LaPorta the following offseason. Swift was then traded to Philadelphia that April after the Lions selected Jahmyr Gibbs in the 1st round. So we already know Johnson is not afraid to unload established players if he feels they don’t fit his vision on offense. We also know he has a sharp eye for tight ends and running backs. He had the biggest voice in drafting Gibbs and LaPorta, then Colston Loveland and Kyle Monangai last year.
If anybody has the confidence that they can find upgrades to Kmet and Swift, it would be the Bears’ head coach. Free agency will have some strong running back options, while the upcoming 2026 draft is stacked with highly talented tight ends. If the Bears can get some draft picks in return for both players, they will have more than enough resources to continue the offensive facelift. It remains to be seen whether they go through with it since such situations are often fluid.
