13 months after being drafted No. 10 overall by the Bears, tight end Colston Loveland is enjoying participating in OTAs and veteran minicamp for the first time.
"All glory to God for being healthy, being out there with the teammates during OTAs," Loveland said. "This is fun. Where else would you rather be?"
This time last year, Loveland was rehabbing from an injury he sustained during his final season at Michigan, forcing him to miss the on-field portions of the offseason program and the beginning of training camp. While that led to Loveland having a slow start to the beginning of his rookie year, he evolved into one of quarterback Caleb Williams' most trusted targets during the second half of the season.
In 16 games, Loveland totaled 58 receptions for 713 yards and six touchdowns, each of which led the Bears. With a full season under his belt and now fully healthy, coach Ben Johnson is seeing significant growth from the second-year pro.
"This offseason has been full tilt," Johnson told reporters Tuesday ahead of the Bears' first veteran minicamp practice. "I love what he brings to the table. He's one of the most consistent players I've been around, and that's saying a lot for a young guy, because I think it takes a while before guys can truly understand what it means to be a professional. But he's in early, he's always in his playbook, he's always taking notes. I think he really thrives with being available in the pressure moments. That's the type of guy that he wants to be.
"A lot of trust with the coaching staff, with the quarterbacks. So I'm really happy with where he's at right now. We've been able to take the route tree to the next level, and it's something we're going to continue to develop in training camp as well."
The trust is reciprocated by Loveland, who told reporters that he believes the coaching staff knows how to put all the Bears' offensive weapons in the best position to be successful. That trust is a continuous motivator for Loveland to come in and be his consistent self each day, no matter the circumstances.
"I'd say being consistent is coming in, you're gonna feel good, feel bad, have different days, obviously, but I think it's just not letting anyone know that, and then continuing to do what you do," Loveland said. "And Ben always says it, 'just 1 percent better. Be better than we were yesterday.'
"And I think that's consistent in my book. I think not changing your routine, sticking to a routine that works for you, and like I said, there's gonna be good and bad days, you're gonna mess up, you're gonna do better things on this day, but it's just staying level-headed, not getting too high and too low."
Along with Johnson, veteran receiver Kalif Raymond, who signed with the Bears this spring in free agency, praised Loveland's day-to-day process. When asked about the type of players and culture Johnson has brought in and established in Chicago, Raymond singled out Loveland and his habit of taking 100 reps on the JUGS machine before each practice.
"That's the kind of guy you want next to you when it's the fourth quarter, two minutes on the line, and you're trying to have some change and you're trying to score touchdowns, score points," Raymond said. "So you've got those kind of guys. I'm not worried about Colston when it's 100 JUGS in on the fourth day in a row and it's two minutes in the fourth quarter, because he already put the work in. So he has those kind of guys with that kind of character in the building."
Loveland's consistent approach certainly paid off down the stretch of his rookie season. In his first six games, Loveland averaged 1.8 receptions and 19.3 yards before averaging 4.9 catches and 65.8 yards with all six of his TDs in the Bears' final 12 contests. His breakout game came Nov. 2 in Cincinnati when he caught a game-winning 58-yard pass from Williams with :17 remaining. He finished the game with six receptions for 118 yards and his first two NFL touchdowns.
While Loveland broke multiple franchise records in his rookie campaign and garnered national attention for his versatility and playmaking ability in big moments, he went into this offseason with the mindset that every facet of his game could be improved.
"I think it's watching the tape and knowing it was good for a rookie, but it's not going to be good enough for a second-year or third-year guy," Loveland said. "So knowing that, all right, flush that, clean up on the tape, and the certain things that I need to get better at, which is dang near everything.
"So, I think just going into the offseason knowing what my strengths and flaws were definitely helps to see what I can focus on, especially coming into this six-week window we have before camp."
As Loveland nears his second NFL season, his mindset and goals have remained the same as they were a year ago. Of course, he'd love to reach personal accolades such as a 1,000-yard season, but his focus is solely on being whoever Johnson and the Bears need him to be week in and week out.
"Like I've always said, it's about what the team needs and what the coaching staff needs," Loveland said. "And whatever position I'm put in, I'm going to accept that role and attack that role and do what I'm asked. And if that means going over 1,000, if it means going under 400, as long as we're winning games and getting the main goal and keeping the main thing the main thing."
