The secret is out: the Chicago Bears have one of the best tight ends in the NFL with Colston Loveland.
As a rookie last year, Loveland led the Bears with 713 yards and six touchdowns after a slow start to the season. Sports Illustrated released its rankings of the NFL's top tight ends, and they acknowledge the greatness of Loveland by ranking him sixth on the list.
"Loveland has emerged as one of the best young tight ends in the NFL after enjoying a brilliant second half of his rookie season," SI writer Karl Rasmussen said. "He was finding his footing through the first seven weeks of last season, but he caught fire after that. After averaging 19.3 yards per game and failing to score a touchdown in his first six games, Loveland averaged 59.7 yards per game over his next 10 contests and had six touchdowns in that span.
Bears coach Ben Johnson spoke highly of Loveland this offseason, calling him “one of the most consistent players I’ve ever been around.” That’s high praise for a rookie tight end, and he’ll have a huge role to play in Chicago’s offense in 2026, especially after the departure of DJ Moore."
Colston Loveland is getting all kinds of attention for his play
When watching Loveland's tape, it's hard not to see why everyone loves him as a player. He's the complete package, from what he can do in the passing game to sitting back and blocking for his teammates.
He was able to make an immediate impact on the Bears in Year 1 when head coach Ben Johnson went through some early-season struggles with getting the tight ends involved. Loveland was able to beat out another great tight end, Cole Kmet, for the job and outperform him from the jump.
Things could be different in 2026 for Loveland, though, as he is going to have a bigger role in this offense. DJ Moore was traded away, leaving just Rome Odunze and Luther Burden II as the top wide receivers. That means more targets will be heading Loveland's way.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams will be more than happy to make sure Loveland gets the football more often. Last year, Williams targeted Loveland 10 or more times in each of the last four games of the regular season and playoffs.
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More is going to be expected from Loveland, but Bears fans know all too well how great he can be. It appears as though everyone else has caught up with that assessment as well.
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