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Bears TE Colston Loveland

Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland isn’t walking back into Halas Hall as a rookie trying to find his footing anymore. He’s the guy now. And he knows it.

Loveland spoke with reporters Tuesday during the offseason program and his message was clear: “You can’t slack at all,” Loveland said. “The new standard is set. You just have to burst through that and keep growing it.”

From slow start to team leader

The 2025 season wasn’t always pretty for Colston Loveland… He started slow, dealt with an injury, and wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire through the first month of the year. 

Then came Week 9 against the Bengals. A 118 yard, two touchdown performance with the game winning TD that flipped the script entirely. And he never looked back.

Loveland finished the season leading the Bears in receptions (58), receiving yards (713), and touchdowns (6). The last 10 games of the year he averaged nearly 60 yards per contest. Caleb Williams targeted him 10+ times in each of Chicago’s final four games, including the playoff win.

The Chicago Bears then traded WR DJ Moore to Buffalo this offseason, leaving a big target void in Chicago’s passing game. It’s going to fall to Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and Loveland to pick up that production. Loveland isn’t shying away from the responsibility.

“Whether I got to take more load or whatever… maybe some games I take more or they take more,” he said. “The best thing is to always be ready.”

He was then asked about becoming a circled name on opposing coordinators’ boards, and his response was awesome: “I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Loveland said. “That means I’m doing something right.”

Ben Johnson sees it the same way. The Bears head coach made no secret of how he views Loveland’s ceiling heading into year 2.

“I think Colston can do a lot of things,” Johnson said. “He does a phenomenal job in our running game… he can wear so many hats. He’s not just a one-trick pony.”

A head start

GettyBears TEs Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland

One of the underrated advantages Colston Loveland carries into 2026 is continuity. He now knows Ben Johnson’s system, the playbook, and how everything runs.

Last year he was coming off an injury and learning on the fly, and he still managed to lead the team in receiving… What happens when he walks in with a year of mental reps already banked? 

“It’s like a head start,” Loveland said Tuesday. “Know the guys, know the system, know how everything’s ran.”

Loveland was drafted 10th overall because Johnson believed he was a foundational piece. The Bears staked a premium pick on a tight end they already had Cole Kmet under contract for. That’s how much they believed in him.

Year 1 gave everyone a preview of why. Year 2 is when it gets serious. If the Chicago Bears are going to make a legitimate run in 2026, Colston Loveland needs to be one of the best tight ends in football. And based on everything he said Tuesday, he’s ready for it.