In the aftermath of the Bears’ thrilling wild-card win over the Packers, the largest comeback victory in the franchise’s playoff history, Caleb Williams reflected on a recent conversation with Ben Johnson.
Rookie tight end Colston Loveland was the topic of discussion. Sitting in Johnson’s office, the second-year quarterback and first-year head coach recalled the chatter surrounding Chicago’s selection of Loveland, the 10th overall pick:
Why did they take Colston Loveland?
The Bears went with the former Michigan star over Tyler Warren, whom many league observers pegged as the draft’s top tight end prospect.
No one is questioning Chicago’s decision now.
“We got a home run with him,” Williams said at the postgame podium after Chicago’s historic 31-27 win.
Seemingly on track to superstardom, Loveland has emerged as the No. 1 option offensively for the Bears, who’ve enjoyed a historic Year 1 with Johnson. In his playoff debut, the first-round pick caught eight passes for 137 yards and added a two-point conversion to help Chicago erase a 21-6 deficit entering the fourth quarter. He became the first rookie tight end with at least eight receptions and 100 receiving yards in a postseason game in NFL history.
Caleb Williams targeted Colston Loveland 15 times in the Bears’ wild-card comeback win over the Packers. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Loveland has had 90-plus receiving yards in three straight games. He’ll try for a fourth when the Bears look to keep their magical season going in Sunday’s divisional-round matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
“Third or fourth down, [the Packers] were really tuned in on me,” Loveland told the Amazon broadcast after the game. “Those sail routes were hitting, man. Caleb was delivering. The O-line was doing their thing.”
Chicago didn’t get this version of Loveland overnight.
He missed his first NFL offseason program recovering from shoulder surgery, putting him behind in training camp. He had just two catches for 12 receiving yards combined in his first two games. From Weeks 1–8, he averaged just 1.8 catches on 3.0 targets for 19.3 yards, totaling zero touchdowns in that stretch.
But with more time on the field, Loveland’s confidence grew and he gained the trust of Johnson and Williams. The ex-Michigan star broke out in Week 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals, catching a then-career high six passes for 118 yards — his first 100-yard receiving game — and his first two touchdown receptions. The latter, a 58-yard score, was the game-winner with 17 seconds left.
Over the final 10 weeks of the season, his receiving yards per game jumped to 59.7, more than triple his first six games, while his targets per contest increased to 6.4, more than double his first six games. Loveland ended the regular season leading the Bears in receptions (58) and receiving yards (713), and tied a team-high in receiving touchdowns (6).
According to Pro Football Focus, Loveland had just one drop and a 1.7% drop rate during the regular season, which led all qualified rookie pass-catchers (minimum of 36 targets). He also tied for second in receiving touchdowns and fourth in contested catches (9), and fifth in receptions and receiving yards among all rookie receivers.
Bears players and coaches have lauded Loveland’s reliability and work ethic. Including the playoffs, Chicago is 6-2 when Loveland has at least 40 receiving yards.
“He’s come, he’s shown up, and he’s made big plays for us,” Johnson said. “The quarterback certainly trusts him, but I think that probably sheds a lot of light in terms of how vital he is towards our operation. We ask him to wear a lot of hats in terms of knowing the game plan, a lot of different positions, a lot of different responsibilities — run game, pass game, pass protection — and I think he’s still learning, and he’s growing.”
As a receiver, Loveland is a “friendly target” for Williams, according to Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.
“He’s a big player with a big catch radius, and you don’t see a lot of tight ends that can do both,” Doyle said of the 6-foot-6, 241-pound Loveland. “[He’s] a guy that can threaten you on third down and yet, on base downs can help you and be an extension of the offensive line. The biggest thing is you know what to expect out of the player.
“He’s a guy that you trust in big moments.”
More are headed his way.
Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.
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