Bears rookie tight end Colston Loveland has been named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in last Sunday's 47-42 win over the Bengals.
The first-round pick scored his first two NFL touchdowns, including a spectacular game-winning 58-yard reception from Caleb Williams with just :17 remaining that enabled the Bears to erase a 42-41 deficit.
Williams rifled a pass on a seam route to Loveland, who caught the ball at the Bengals' 35, bounced off one defender and outraced two others to the end zone.
"It's well-deserved," said coach Ben Johnson. "He came through for us, and it really wasn't the first week that he's done that. We've kind of put him in some positions there throughout the season so far where fourth quarter and we need to close the game out and the ball tended to find his hands. He's that type of guy; when he's called upon he's going to answer it. And the bigger the moment, he's going to rise to the occasion.
"He did a great job there last week. It's a good stepping stone for us. He's exactly what we thought we were acquiring when we drafted him and so I'm very pleased with that."
Loveland's 58-yarder is the longest game-winning TD reception by an NFL tight end since 2015 and the third longest in the final two minutes of regulation or in overtime by any rookie since at least 1970.
His first TD came midway through the third quarter on a 5-yarder from Williams that gave the Bears a 24-20 lead.
The Michigan product finished the game with six receptions for 118 yards. In the process, he joined Hall of Famer Mike Ditka in 1961 as the only Bears rookie tight ends to compile at least 100 yards and catch multiple TD passes in a game and the first NFL rookie tight end to do so since 1980.
Loveland is just the third NFL rookie tight end to be named Offensive Player of the Week, joining the Raiders' Mike Dyal (1989) and the Giants' Jeremy Shockey (2002).
Loveland is also only the third Bears rookie to be named NFC Offensive Player of the Week, joining running backs Anthony Thomas (2001) and Jordan Howard (2016).
With Williams earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors in Week 3, the Bears are the only NFC team with multiple winners of the award this season.
