The Bears went into 2026 with a tight end room that looked built to matter. Colston Loveland brought second-year upside, Cole Kmet gave them a proven veteran presence, and rookie third-round pick Sam Roush added another layer of depth.
Ben Johnson had options. Five games into the season, though, the production has not matched the personnel.
Chicago’s tight ends have only produced 199 receiving yards, which ranks 22nd in the NFL according to Radar360. Kmet’s touchdown in Week 1 is still the group’s only score, leaving the Bears tied with four other teams for the second-fewest tight end touchdowns in the league, with only four teams having none.
A big reason is the quarterback situation. Caleb Williams has not played since the Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings because of a Grade 2 hamstring injury, and since then Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent have taken turns operating Johnson’s offense. The Bears need stability there, and Williams’ status remains uncertain, though NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport says he’s trending toward playing this week.
Even in Sunday’s 31-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers, there were chances to get the tight ends involved that slipped away. On Bagent’s first sack, Loveland appeared to have a shot at a short completion on second-and-9, but the play never developed cleanly and ended with an 11-yard loss. On Bagent’s first interception, he forced a throw toward Luther Burden III in the second level while Loveland was open underneath on a drag route after chipping the defensive end.
The receiving numbers have lagged, but the tight ends have done their part in the run game. Using Pro Football Focus data, Chicago’s tight ends grade out as above-average run blockers, with Kmet ranking among the best in the league. The one eyebrow-raising detail is Loveland’s workload there: he has logged more run-blocking snaps than any tight end in the league.
Loveland has talent. The Bears just need to give him more chances to show it in the passing game.
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