According to most pundits, Tyler Warren was the best tight end prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Chicago Bears did not agree. With the 10th overall pick, the team selected Colston Loveland out of Michigan, with the hopes of turning him into head coach Ben Johnson’s new Sam LaPorta.
With plenty of hype heading into his NFL debut on Monday Night Football against the Minnesota Vikings, most fans expected him to take over for Cole Kmet as the team’s starting tight end.
That hasn’t been the case thus far, with Loveland recording just two catches for 12 yards through the first three quarters of his career.
Is Chicago Bears’ First-Round Pick Colston Loveland Hurt?
Loveland never appeared on the injury report leading into the game, so unless he sustained an unreported injury early on during the game, that doesn’t appear to be the case.
Caleb Williams side arm to rookie TE Colston Loveland pic.twitter.com/hooW9Boldk
— Dave (@dave_bfr) September 9, 2025
Instead, he appears to be splitting snaps with the incumbent Kmet, despite the hype surrounding him as a top-ten pick. With so many weapons on the Bears’ offense, Loveland seems to be further down the pecking order than originally surmised.
In fairness to the rookie right end, Johnson is known for spreading the wealth around on offense, and he’s lived up to that reputation so far. Eight different Bears players have been targeted in the game, with seven of them recording receptions (Kmet has been held without a reception by the Vikings’ defense).
In his three seasons at Michigan, Loveland was a constant force over the middle of the field, recording 117 receptions for 1,466 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s also a strong blocker, giving him a well-rounded skillset that obviously appealed to Chicago’s brass during May’s draft.
Funnily enough, Loveland’s strongest season at the collegiate level came in 2023, when he played with J.J. McCarthy. Of course, McCarthy is the starting quarterback for the rival Vikings in what marks the debut for both former teammates.
Even though his debut has been slow, believers of Loveland need not look too hard to find sources for optimism. Sam LaPorta emerged as one of the best tight ends in the NFL during his rookie season under Johnson’s tutelage in Detroit, and it appears that Loveland is the one set to reprise a similar role in Johnson’s scheme in Chicago.
Competing with D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Kmet for targets, Loveland will have to work hard to earn more love from quarterback Caleb Williams. Still, he remains an über-talented tight end with plenty of potential.
