At the beginning of the regular season, it appeared as though the Chicago Bears might have whiffed on their first-round pick in tight end Colston Loveland. That is no longer the case.
Loveland had yet another stellar game despite his team taking a 19-16 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 18. The rookie tight end caught 10 passes for 91 yards and one touchdown in the defeat.
It was during the FOX broadcast of the game that got everyone's attention as former NFL quarterback Tom Brady sang the praises of Loveland. Brady would compare Loveland to another great tight end he played with in New England, the Patriots.
"He's like a great tight end I had, a little mini Gronk," Brady said on the broadcast.
Loveland is playing like Rob Gronkowski in the best way
When a tight end gets compared to one of the best in NFL history, in Rob Gronkowski, everyone knows that there is something special in that player. Loveland is certainly developing into someone who could be one of the best tight ends in the league.
That Week 18 performance actually helped Loveland to become the leading receiver on the Bears. He finished the regular season with 58 receptions for 713 yards and six touchdowns. His last two games were impressive as he caught 16 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns to close the year out.
Going into the playoffs, the Bears should have Rome Odunze back in the lineup, but Caleb Williams is building quite the relationship with Loveland. Last year, Williams wasn't big on throwing it to the tight end with Cole Kmet, but it's been a different story in 2025.
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Bears fans should be ready for Loveland to be one of the top targets for Williams in the postseason, and he has more than earned that opportunity.