Who Should I Start? Cole Kmet or AJ Barner

Thursday, August 7, 12:31 PM

Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet (undisclosed) returned to training camp practice on Thursday after leaving Tuesday's session early with an undisclosed ailment, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Kmet avoided a serious injury earlier this week and should be just fine to play in the Week 1 regular-season opener in early September. However, Chicago could play it safe and hold him out of their preseason opener this Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. The 26-year-old former second-rounder's fantasy stock took a big hit when the Bears selected Colston Loveland in the first round this year. Loveland had offseason shoulder surgery but should be ready for Week 1 and could easily take over as the team's primary pass-catching TE in 2025. RotoBaller has Kmet ranked all the way down as the No. 32 tight end this year.

Sunday, August 10, 4:12 PM

Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner has looked "very promising" in training camp practices and is "currently the No. 1 tight end," according to Michael-Shawn Duggar of The Athletic. A fourth-round pick out of Michigan in the 2024 draft, Barner recorded 30 catches for 245 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games (six starts) as a rookie. Seattle released veteran tight end Noah Fant last month, which could be an indication of the confidence the organization has in Barner. However, the Seahawks also used a second-round pick in the 2025 draft at the position when they selected Elijah Arroyo, so Barner will still have in-house competition for targets and playing time.