Chicago Bears insider pours cold water on Colston Loveland concern

As a rookie, Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland took the league by storm. With a another offseason working with head coach Ben Johnson under his belt, Loveland was expected to explode in 2026. His name was on numerous breakout watch lists.

But so far, that hype hasn’t come to fruition. Through the first two weeks of the 2026 season, Loveland has one catch for three yards. He was held out of the stat sheet completely in Week 1.

To the tight end’s credit, Kalif Raymond is currently leading the Bears in receiving. Fellow top flight pass catchers like Rome Odunze and Luther Burden have yet to truly take off. Still, fans are expecting Loveland to be a dynamic option when he’s on the field.

Outside of his fantasy football managers, no one is pushing the panic button though. The Bears at least are well aware of what Loveland brings to the table. It shouldn’t be long before the tight end is a focal point of the offense again.

Chicago Bears still need Colston Loveland

As a rookie, Loveland led the Bears with 58 catches for 713 yards and six touchdowns. And that was with DJ Moore on the roster. Johnson hasn’t forgotten about his star sophomore tight end, via Courtney Cronin of ESPN.

“Loveland was Chicago’s leading receiver as a rookie and had a stellar training camp, but the tight end has been a nonfactor in the first two games of his second campaign,” Cronin wrote. “Loveland went without a reception in Week 1 and caught his only pass so far (for 3 yards) in a rain-soaked Week 2.”

“His lack of production could be a byproduct of how defenses are playing him differently or that Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III haven’t commanded attention away from Loveland,” she continued. “But this trend shouldn’t spark panic. Loveland has been on the field for 87% of offensive plays and run routes on 83% of his snaps.”

As Cronin notes, Loveland is still seeing plenty of opportunities. Defenses are more aware of his skillset and how dangerous he could be. Still, the Bears will find ways to put the ball in his hands.

Until Loveland truly breaks out in 2026, there will remain questions. But it wasn’t long ago the Bears were offensive kings after scoring 59 points. As they try to reach their ceiling, Loveland remains expected to play a massive role.

The post Chicago Bears insider pours cold water on Colston Loveland concern appeared first on ChiCitySports.