Chicago Bears insider suggests Ben Johnson isn’t keen on Cole Kmet and DJ Moore

During an appearance on 670 The Score’s “Spiegel & Holmes Show” on Wednesday, Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times speculated on which players key to general manager Ryan Poles’ roster construction might not survive the Johnson era.

Lieser thinks Johnson has more control over personnel decisions than Poles this offseason, and he thinks Johnson isn’t “sold” on Kmet or Moore.

“And when you ask right away, who are guys that Ryan Poles is really sold on, that maybe Ben Johnson isn’t? Well, they just drafted a tight end (Loveland) in the first round, yeah, and they just drafted a wide receiver in the second round (Burden),” Lieser said.

Because Loveland (shoulder) and Burden (soft tissue) have missed OTAs this spring due to injuries, Lieser thinks Kmet and Moore will stay on the Bears through training camp, since they provide a safety net while Burden and Loveland learn the offense.

Could DJ Moore or Cole Kmet be traded by November?

However, he suggested Chicago could move Kmet or Moore as soon as the trade deadline on Nov. 4.

“It’s more to me, what happens if things aren’t going real well and a good offer comes across your desk at the trade deadline,” Lieser said. “Or what happens after the season when Cole Kmet’s contract, for example, is pretty easy to get out of after the 2025 season.”

Kmet signed a four-year deal worth $50 million in 2023 with an out in 2026. He would account for $3.2 million in dead cap in 2026 and $1.6 million in dead cap for 2027, per Spotrac.

Lieser said it wasn’t clear this spring how Moore fits into Johnson’s offense, or if the new head coach values the Bears’ top receiver in 2023 and 2024 less than Poles. Lieser did say that Moore is a downgrade from what the former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator had last year with Amon-Ra St. Brown.

There has been trade talk in the bored NFL media community about Kmet and the Pittsburgh Steelers or tight-end-needy teams this offseason. Based on what Lieser is saying, no trade is pressing, and it wouldn’t even make sense given how far behind Loveland is in learning the offense this summer.

However, this is something to keep in mind if the Bears start the season poorly, or Moore or Kmet aren’t being featured as prominently as they’d like. In the case of Kmet, a veteran with an out upcoming in 2026, it’s almost like a contract season for the 2020 second-round pick out of Notre Dame.