Remember the first two months of the season when Chicago Bears fans thought that rookie first-round pick Colston Loveland was a bust? Yeah, not anymore.
Loveland came up clutch for the Bears time and time again during the NFC Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers, helping them to an improbable 31-27 win after being down 18 points at halftime. He finished with game highs in receptions (eight) and yards (137), averaging a staggering 17.1 yards per reception.
After the win, Loveland's quarterback Caleb Williams was asked about his rookie tight end. Williams needed just seven words to talk about his new favorite pass catcher.
“We got a home run with him.”
Bears might have next great tight end in Colston Loveland
Chicago has had their fair share of great tight ends that have rolled into the Windy City over the course of the history of the team. From Mike Ditka to Greg Olsen, the Bears know a great tight end when they see one, and Loveland is that guy.
After starting the season with just 11 receptions for 116 yards in his first six career games, he turned it on the moment he had 118 yards and two touchdowns against the Cincinnati Bengals. He cruised to a team-leading 713 yards and six touchdowns on the season.
While Williams has struggled to put the ball on his receivers this season, it seems to be different with Loveland. It could be chalked up to Loveland running shorter routes than the receivers, but Williams is able to get him the ball more accurately, leading to a higher catch percentage.
Loveland has now gone three straight games with Williams targeting him 10 or more times in a game. It's becoming clear that Williams trusts Loveland more than any other pass catcher in the offense, and Bears fans are fine with that, with the kind of production they are getting from the tight end.
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Now with the Divisional Round back in Soldier Field, the real star in Chicago isn't Williams, or Ben Johnson, or DJ Moore, or anyone else. The star of the Windy City has become Loveland.