Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland finished with an encouraging first season in the NFL, and the talented playmaker could be in store to break some records in Year 2.
When the Chicago Bears drafted Colston Loveland with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, there was plenty of speculation surrounding the selection.
ESPN Milwaukee had a field day with Chicago’s choice.
Loveland finished his rookie season as the Bears' top receiver, recording 713 yards, 58 receptions and six touchdowns. In the 31-27 Wild Card win over the Green Bay Packers, he caught eight passes for 137 yards.
When general manager Ryan Poles explained why the team traded DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills, he referenced Loveland, calling him a "special player" during his media availability last week at Halas Hall.
Loveland's skill set in head coach Ben Johnson's offense creates a limitless ceiling for the 6-foot-4, 241-pound play maker. The team believes Loveland is special, and he has a chance to break some long-standing records from previous first-round tight ends.
There have been 26 tight ends drafted in the first round since 2000. Here is a look at the top stats from the previous first-round tight ends in their second season in that time span. For Loveland to have the best statistical season in Year 2, he would have to clear these bench marks.
- YARDS: Ravens 2002 Todd Heap (823)
- TARGETS: Ravens 2002 Todd Heap (122)
- RECEPTIONS: Lions 2010 Brandon Pettigrew (71)
- TOUCHDOWNS: Packers 2001 Bubba Franks (9)
Those individual stats will be tough to surpass, but how Loveland started his rookie season must be taken into consideration for what he can do in Year 2.
The Bears' rookie tight end took time before making an impact on the offense. He missed all of OTAs and minicamp in the spring because of a shoulder injury he sustained in his final season at Michigan. He needed surgery the following offseason, and that led to a ramp up period to start his NFL career.
Through his first eight weeks of the season, including being out in Week 4 due to a hip injury and the Bye week, Loveland had just 11 receptions for 116 yards. He played only 204 snaps in that time.
Then against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9, Loveland showed the NFL world what he could do. The Bears' tight end caught six passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns, including the decisive touchdown in the the 47-42 road victory.
The following week against the New York Giants, Loveland caught all the passes thrown his way, finishing the game with 55 yards on four targets. With the Bears trailing 20-10 in the fourth quarter, Caleb Williams trusted Loveland to make a big-time catch on third-and-10. The rookie secured a 20-yard reception that eventually lead to a touchdown later in the drive. The Bears won that game.
Is Loveland capable of breaking the records that were set by previous tight ends in their second seasons? His talent in Johnson's offense gives him a legit chance to do so, but there are plenty of factors that will play a role.
Health is a huge one. So is the ball distribution. Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III are going to get their fair share of targets this upcoming season, so that 122 target number from Heap may not be achievable.
Franks' nine touchdowns is impressive as well. But Loveland was only 110 receiving yards away from tying Heap's record and 13 receptions from Pettigrew's record, so those are well within the possibility.
If Williams and Loveland keep progressing in their second year under Johnson, they’ll have plenty of chances to rewrite the record books.