Who Should I Start? Cole Kmet or AJ Barner

Sunday, June 21, 5:50 AM

Despite leading the team in total snaps at the position, by the end of the 2025 season, Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet had clearly been overtaken by rookie Colston Loveland. With Chicago operating out of multi-tight end sets at one of the league's highest rates, Kmet is still expected to be a major part of the team's base offense in 2026, but from a fantasy perspective, he is now well behind Loveland and an exciting pair of young receivers in Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III. An incredibly durable player throughout his six-year career, Kmet finished as the TE7 in both 2022 and 2023 on the strength of full availability and 13 touchdown receptions over those two years, but he has not since reached 50 receptions or 500 yards. Still only 27 years old, he remains a dynasty hold for his unique insurance upside, but under contract for two more seasons, RotoBaller's TE50 will not reach free agency and a potentially beneficial change of scenery until 2028.