Through the first week of training camp, it's been clear that tight end Colston Loveland has picked up right where he left off in 2025, when he led the Bears with 58 catches for 713 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie.
Remaining one of quarterback Caleb Williams' most trusted pass catchers is about more than just Loveland's on-field actions. In coach Ben Johnson's eyes, it's also his football IQ and desire to learn.
"He knows pretty much every spot," Johnson told reporters Monday. "He's looking at the receiver routes. It's amazing to me when you go into a special teams meeting and you hear him. You see him taking notes, and then you hear him asking questions about special teams units that he's not likely to be on. It just says a lot about who he is.
"He's just a sponge right now. He wants all the information. He has all of this knowledge, and it's just going to make him a better player, and he's going to continue to play faster. I think there's a lot that he's learning. He'll continue to learn, and he can apply it in real time, which is great."
The Bears selected Loveland with the No. 10 overall pick in 2025, and after missing all offseason practices while recovering from shoulder surgery, he started his rookie year off with minimal production. But after a breakout game in a Week 9 victory in Cincinnati, where he caught six passes for 118 yards, including the game-winning touchdown, Loveland remained a consistent piece of Johnson's offense all the way through the Bears' magical 2025 season
Now heading into his second NFL season with a full offseason of work under his belt, Loveland isn't letting off the gas. He said that this time last year, he was focused on mastering the offense and the tight end position. In his second training camp, he's able to work more on reading the defense and different techniques or alignments. He's looking for every possible way he can improve, hence his "sponge" mentality.
"I don't want anyone to have an edge on me," Loveland said, "meaning I want to study just as much or more than everyone. I want to get as [many] touches, whatever it may be. So yeah, I see other people doing it, it's like, 'Why am I not doing it?' And then, it's back to the basics.
"It was stuff I already know, [but] it's like, 'all right, I'm going to just continue to write this down and just keep ingraining it in my mind.' And then it's like, 'All right, what are the receivers doing? What are these guys doing?' And just expanding the knowledge."
That mindset has led to Loveland consistently showcasing his playmaking ability in camp. His best day came last Friday when he and quarterback Williams connected on three passes in a four-play span during an end-of-half drill, culminating in a 14-yard touchdown. The duo combined for two more scores in Friday's practice, sequences that have earned Loveland the utmost praise from his third-year QB.
"He can become the best tight end in the league," Williams said. "I think he is. But stats and us going out there and proving it, is what it's going to take. And to be able to do that, we've got to put in the work."
While Loveland told reporters Monday that he still has "a lot of work to do" to become the best tight end in the league, he believes Williams can also be one of the NFL's premier quarterbacks.
Both players emphasized the importance of building their on-field and off-field connection in order to become the best at their positions. This summer, Williams made that a point with all his offensive weapons, inviting a large group out to Los Angeles to hang out and train together.
"He's the guy," Loveland said. "He's always wanting people to come over. He's a leader and he wants to build that bond with people outside of the field. I think that goes a long way on the field. Just knowing that you can trust him, having that relationship.
"And then on the field, I mean, continuing to get the extra reps after practice, knowing that if I drop one or do something wrong, I'll be like, 'I've got you on the next one.' He knows that and vice versa. We're continuing to build that relationship. It's never ending."
While Loveland is hungry to build off last season's production, he also recognizes the plethora of talent around him.
Between fellow tight ends Cole Kmet and Sam Roush, receivers Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Kalif Raymond and Jahdae Walker as well as running backs D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, there's no shortage of playmakers to distribute the ball to. Even so, the second-year pro is confident that Johnson and the offensive staff will put each player in positions to succeed throughout the year.
"I've always said, I think we've got so many weapons on this team," Loveland said. "Whatever my job is, whatever my role is on this team, I'm going to attack it. If that's being the leading receiver, that's what it is. If it's getting 30 targets, that's what it is. Obviously, I'm going to push my butt off to do whatever and be put in those positions to make a play.
"But we've got so many weapons and the coaches know our strengths, our weaknesses, and they're going to put us in the right spot. So just continue to build as a team, build as an offense, and then with the team success, everything will come after that."
