Rob Gronkowski isn’t shying away from the hype around Bears rookie tight end Colston Loveland.
Appearing on a Monday episode of “Hot Ones,” the former Patriots star was asked by host Sean Evans to name an NFL tight end who could put together a monster season. Gronkowski didn’t hesitate.
"I'm going to go with Colston Loveland," Gronkowski said. "He has the skills, he has the attributes. He's going to be a phenomenal tight end."
That’s a pretty strong stamp of approval from someone who knows the position as well as anybody. Gronkowski piled up 621 catches, 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns in a career that will eventually land him in Canton.
Loveland, of course, is still at the beginning of his NFL run. And after Week 1, the numbers didn’t exactly jump off the page.
Against Carolina in Chicago’s 59-37 win, Loveland was targeted three times and didn’t come down with a catch. Caleb Williams spread the ball around, and Cole Kmet ended up having the better day among Bears tight ends, finishing with two receptions for 35 yards and a touchdown.
Even so, Loveland was clearly part of the action. He was on the field often and running routes regularly, which meant the chances were there even if the completions weren’t.
That’s a better place to be after one game than staring at a blank stat line and overreacting to it.
Ben Johnson’s offense has plenty of weapons, and Week 1 showed just how many different ways Chicago can attack a defense. Loveland won’t be the focal point every Sunday.
But Gronkowski clearly thinks the rookie has the tools to make a lot of noise when his number gets called.
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Ben Johnson pointed to the punt as a momentum shift, which says plenty about how the Bears view Taylors value heading into the season. With Caleb Williams lighting up Carolina and the offense already carrying a heavy load, any hidden-yardage edge matters, and Taylors ability to change field position in an instant gives Chicago something opponents have to account for every week. [Read more 🡒]