Rookie tight end Colston Loveland is performing exactly how the Bears envisioned when they selected him with the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Michigan product led the Bears in receiving during the regular season with 58 receptions for 713 yards and six touchdowns, becoming the first rookie to do so since receiver Willie Gault in 1983 and the first tight end since Hall of Famer Mike Ditka in 1961.
"He knows what to do," said coach Ben Johnson. "He's got outstanding hands. He works his tail off. He's usually the first one on the practice field. He's usually the last one to leave. There's been an immense trust level, and his route tree has grown accordingly."
In each of the Bears' final two regular-season games against the 49ers and Lions, Loveland compiled at least 90 yards and one TD. He had three such performances this year, becoming just the fourth tight end in NFL history to accomplish that feat, joining Ditka, Charle Young (1973) and Brock Bowers (2024).
"He's very reliable," said offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. "He's a friendly target to throw to. We talk about that a lot. He's a big player with a big catch radius and you don't see a lot of tight ends that can do both. He does a really good job in the run game. That's probably an unsung part of his game that when you turn the tape on, it's really impressive for him, 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. We've loved having him."
Saw it coming
Quarterback Caleb Williams is not surprised by the Bears' success in Johnson's first season as coach.
Asked if he expected the team to win 11 games and capture the NFC North title, Williams said: "Yeah, I did. Me being the quarterback, having Ben as a coach and then having the guys that we have, we have a lot of guys that care and care about each other but also care about winning. You put that tandem together and you can do a lot. We've done a good job so far this year, but we've got a lot more coming."
Next up for the second-seeded Bears is Saturday night's wild card showdown with the seventh-seeded Packers at Soldier Field. It's the third meeting in six weeks between the fierce rivals, with the home team winning the previous two games.
"This was the vision from the beginning—to have some home playoff games at Soldier Field," Johnson said. "I was really excited about that opportunity and to see that come to light this year, it's a big credit to the guys. The fact you win the division, you have home playoff games, that's huge. That's why we do what we do. Now we've earned this opportunity and we've got to make the most of it."
Neck and neck
How evenly matched are the Bears and Packers?
The longtime rivals have split their season series in back-to-back years for the first time since 1999-2000, with each team totaling 86 points in the four games.
In addition, three of those contests have been decided on the final play, with the outcome of the fourth determined with just :22 remaining in the fourth quarter.
In all four contests, Williams engineered late drives to put the Bears in position to overcome deficits in the final seconds. Here's a breakdown of those games:
1. Packers 20, Bears 19
Nov. 17, 2024, at Soldier Field
After Jordan Love's 1-yard touchdown run gave Green Bay a 20-19 lead with 2:59 to play, Williams completed passes to Rome Odunze on back-to-back plays of 16 yards on third-and-19 and 21 yards on fourth-and-3. Williams then hit Keenan Allen for 12 yards, but Cairo Santos' 46-yard field goal attempt was blocked as time expired.
2. Bears 24, Packers 22
Jan. 5, 2025, at Lambeau Field
After Brandon McManus' 55-yard field goal put the Packers ahead 22-21 with :54 remaining, Williams connected with Odunze for 15 yards and DJ Moore for 18 yards, setting up Santos' game-winning 51-yard field goal as time expired.
3. Packers 28, Bears 21
Dec. 7, 2025, at Lambeau Field
The Bears rallied from a 21-11 third-quarter deficit to tie the score 21-21 on Santos' 41-yard field goal and Williams' 1-yard TD pass to Loveland. After the Packers retook a 28-21 lead on Josh Jacobs' 2-yard TD run with 3:32 to play, Williams completed passes of 27 yards to Luther Burden III and 24 yards to Devin Duvernay. But on fourth-and-1 from the Green Bay 14, Williams' pass intended for Cole Kmet in the end zone was intercepted by cornerback Keisean Nixon with :22 to go.
4. Bears 22, Packers 16 (OT)
Dec. 20, 2025, at Soldier Field
The Bears rallied from a 16-6 deficit in the final two minutes to stun the Packers and take control of the NFC North. Santos' 43-yard field goal closed the gap to 16-9 with 1:59 left, Josh Blackwell recovered the subsequent onside kick, and Williams threw a 6-yard TD pass to Jahdae Walker to tie the score 16-16 with :24 to play. The Bears then won the game in overtime on Williams' sensational 46-yard TD pass to Moore.
Off and running
The Bears are focused on getting off to a quick start Saturday night. They were held scoreless in the first half in their last two home games versus the Packers and Lions and scored only three points in the first half in their first meeting with Green Bay Dec. 7 at Lambeau Field.
"It's crucial for us to get off to a fast start because I feel like once we kind of spark that match, things really get going for us," Kmet said. "It took us a while this past week and when we got going, it felt like we got in a good rhythm, and same thing with that previous Green Bay game. We've just got to come out fast, and I think if we do that, we'll like the result that we get."
In their Dec. 20 home game against the Packers, the Bears scored on their final four possessions in a 22-16 overtime victory. It was the first time they overcame a double-digit deficit in the final 2:00 of a game to win since 2001.
In last Sunday's regular-season finale versus the Lions, the Bears trailed 16-0 entering the third quarter before rallying to tie the score 16-16 in an eventual 19-16 loss.
"We just came out flat," Williams said. "We don't have time for that anymore. We'll make sure we don't. If that starts with me, that starts with me. We'll make sure that doesn't happen. That's the mindset: go out there, start fast."
