One of the questions heading into Chicago Bears training camp was if rookie tight end Colston Loveland would be fully ready to go after recovery from right shoulder surgery kept him out of OTAs.
On Tuesday, before the first training camp practice on Wednesday morning, Bears general manager Ryan Poles confirmed Loveland has been cleared. However, he will (as expected) likely have a ramp up period after being mostly idle from football in recent months.
Ryan Poles said that left tackle Braxton Jones and tight end Colston Loveland are "ready to go" for training camp. Notes that there will likely be a ramp up period because neither has played much football in recent months.
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) July 22, 2025
Head coach Ben Johnson lauded Loveland's work ethic when he spoke to reporters on Tuesday, saying "I don't think there's a guy I saw in the building more this summer." So without the ability get reps on the field, Loveland dove into learning the playbook so he could hit the ground running when training camp started.
Loveland is lined up for a significant role in a Bears' offense that is loaded with weapons around quarterback Caleb Williams. The history of rookie tight ends struggling to produce has shifted some over the last couple years, but the work Loveland missed in OTAs could yield a slow start to his rookie season before he really hits his stride.
History is working against Colston Loveland taking home a big award
It's a testament to his talent, and the draft investment the Bears made in him, that Loveland landed in the pre-training camp top-10 ranking of 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year candidates from NFL.com's Dan Parr.
But history cannot be ignored, as Parr noted immediately after placing Loveland at No. 9 in the ranking.
"Right off the bat, it’s worth noting that no tight end has won Rookie of the Year since 1961, when the Bears’ Mike Ditka took home the honor in the first year of his Pro Football Hall of Fame career. It would be fitting if a Bears tight end followed in Ditka’s footsteps.
"First, Loveland must prove he’s healthy after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, and the good news is he expects to be full go when training camp practices begin this week. He couldn’t ask for a much better situation to walk into, with Ben Johnson calling the plays a couple years after he coached Sam LaPorta to a Pro Bowl season as a rookie tight end for the Lions. Loveland exemplifies the modern-era player at the position, featuring the rare combination of size and athleticism to make highlight-reel grabs and force defenders to miss tackles after the catch."
"If the offense clicks in Year 2 of the Caleb Williams era, Loveland could be hearing his name attached to multiple accolades. Also, while he didn’t make my top 10, it would not be a major surprise if another tight end --Tyler Warren, who was drafted four picks after Loveland -- works his way into the OROY conversation, too. I like Loveland’s upside and overall situation better right now, though."
Along with history, the odds (+2500 at FanDuel Sportsbook as of this writing, odds subject to change) are way against Loveland winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. That said, he is tied for the sixth-best odds to win the award right now.
Read more: Bears insider casually revives an alternate option at left tackle before camp
It would be poetic for the Bears and Bears fans if Loveland were the first tight end to win Offensive Rookie of the Year since Mike Ditka more than 60 years ago. It just shouldn't be expected at all, even if Loveland has a highly productive debut season.