At the beginning, it didn't look great for Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles with his 2025 draft class.
They weren't making any major contributions through the first few games of the regular season. It really wasn't until first-round pick Colston Loveland went for over 100 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Cincinnati Bengals that things really started to change.
Loveland, who was once thought of as a bust, became the Bears' leading receiver in 2025 and led the team in receiving yards in the 31-27 comeback win over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card game. Bears head coach Ben Johnson was asked about his young tight end, and he certainly gave him the praise fans in the Windy City have been waiting to hear.
"I see him as a complete tight end."
Colston Loveland proved the doubters wrong and prevailed with a strong debut
Loveland finished the season with 58 receptions for 713 yards and six touchdowns in 16 games. He also led the way in the playoffs with eight receptions for a career-high 137 yards.
What has made Loveland so great as a player is what Johnson precisely said about him: he's a complete tight end. Throughout the season, Bears fans saw Loveland grow continuously as a route runner and catcher, while also excelling in the blocking game.
The Bears now know without a shadow of a doubt that Loveland is the number one tight end on this team and might even be the number one pass catcher on the team. It has certainly made the conversation around Cole Kmet's future in Chicago easier, as he won't be a Bear for much longer.
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No Bears fan thought Loveland was going to make the kind of impact he has made in the passing game in his first year. Now the conversation is around whether he will end up being one of the greats at tight end like George Kittle or Travis Kelce.