The Chicago Bears have taken a few hits from the injury bug over the past week, but the offense has still flashed plenty of life in training camp. Even with Luther Burden III banged up, the passing game has looked sharp in the second camp of the Ben Johnson era, and Colston Loveland has been right at the center of it.
Loveland, entering his second season, has looked impossible to cover. With the Bears about a week out from their preseason debut, the tight end has picked up exactly where he left off, turning practice reps into a steady stream of highlights and looking every bit like a breakout waiting to happen.
ESPN insider Courtney Cronin described just how hard he’s been to stop in the red zone. “Colston Loveland caught two touchdown passes from Williams while covered during 7-on-7. His second TD grab came in the corner of the end zone with a defender draped over him as he dove to catch the ball,” Cronin wrote.
That kind of scene has become familiar in camp, even if it came during a 7-on-7 period. Loveland has been a constant problem around the end zone, and the Bears have seen enough to know the upside is real.
His rookie year started slowly. Critics had plenty to say when he was quiet early and missed games, especially with Tyler Warren, the projected TE1 in his class, producing right away. But the season flipped later on, and Loveland ended up leading the Bears in most of the receiving categories that matter.
He finished with 713 receiving yards and six touchdowns. His value came from more than just production, too. Loveland showed the kind of playmaking ability that lets him find soft spots in the second and third levels of the defense after the catch, giving Ben Johnson what looked like a new version of Sam LaPorta - only with a higher ceiling and more physical blocking.
Now he’s bulked up, which should make him even tougher to bring down in the open field. Caleb Williams has already made it clear he wants to help him become the best tight end in football, and Loveland looks set for a bigger role in year two even with the Bears’ crowded group of pass catchers.
The Bears still need to find more balance on defense if they want to keep building on the first year of the Ben Johnson era. But with Loveland emerging as a serious weapon and Johnson calling the shots, Chicago will like its odds when games turn into shootouts.
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