The Chicago Bears are just starting training camp, and they are already working on whatever they can to be the best.
It was a relatively quiet first day of working out for the Bears, as not much newsworthy stuff happened. This week, they will be without pads and will be walking through all their plays in the playbook before they really hit the ground running with pads.
One focus for camp from Bears fans is seeing how second-year tight end Colston Loveland follows up a great rookie campaign. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams told the media he sees the greatness in Loveland, but made sure to let him know what he has to do to be great.
"He can become the best tight end in the league. I think he is," Williams said via The Score's Chris Emma. "But stats and us going out there and proving it is what it's going to take. ... He's an all-encompassing tight end."
Colston Loveland has something to prove in Year 2
Let's start with the stats: 713 yards and six touchdowns. Those both led the team last season for Loveland, and they appear to be good ones to start with.
Williams seemed to imply that while numbers are great, Loveland has to do it all again. In fact, Year 2 needs to be a step forward for the young tight end.
He's already being looked at as one of the best tight ends in the NFL, and the potential is there. Loveland proved to be a great receiver and surprised some with how good a blocker he was. The overall talent is 100% there with Loveland and showed why the Bears took him with the 10th overall pick in last year's NFL Draft.
Now Loveland has to show consistency and improvement. He can't put up the same numbers and expect everyone to still think he's on the path to being elite. Loveland now has to separate himself from the rest and show that he didn't peak in his rookie year.
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The Bears may have all kinds of weapons in their offense, but Loveland is the most important one for them. Williams trusts Loveland completely, which is why he targeted the tight end 10 or more times in the last four games of the season. That is something Loveland had better be ready for in 2026, and it will happen more often if he wants to be a top-five tight end.
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