It may have been a shocking decision to some when the Chicago Bears selected tight end Colston Loveland with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Many believed Penn State’s Tyler Warren was the obvious pick there for Chicago.
But for Ben Johnson and the Bears, they had a plan and they stuck to it.
Now, it’s paying dividends for the Bears as Loveland has not only been one of the best rookie tight ends but one of the best at his position in the NFL. Saturday’s performance against the Green Bay Packers proved that on the biggest stage as well.
Colston Loveland makes history
Wm. Glasheen /USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.
Chicago scored their first playoff win since 2010 as they beat the Packers on Saturday night in the wild card round at Soldier Field, advancing to the divisional round. A big reason why was the play of Loveland who was the go-to target for Caleb Williams.
Loveland caught 8 of his 15 targets for 137 yards. While he didn’t have a touchdown, he did get a key two-point conversion and was a reliable target for Williams throughout the day. He made some history as well.
The former Michigan standout became the first rookie tight end to have 8+ receptions and 100+ yards in a playoff game in NFL history. Whew.
He joined some rare company as well. Per Kevin Fishbain, Loveland’s 137 yards rank tied for 10th all-time for a tight end in a playoff game. They were the second-most for a rookie tight end behind Keith Jackson.
Colston Loveland's 137 yards rank tied for 10th all-time for a tight end in a playoff game, via @Stathead. Second-most for a rookie TE behind Keith Jackson pic.twitter.com/8i4rOPRoPD
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) January 11, 2026
It gets even better. Loveland continues to be put in elite company as there are two tight ends in NFL history with 10+ targets and 130+ yards in a playoff game at the age of 22 or younger: Rob Gronkowski. Colston Loveland.
Earning the trust of Caleb Williams
The Bears certainly hit a home run early on with Loveland and it’s clear his head coach sees that too.
“I know Caleb has an immense amount of trust in him,” Ben Johnson said. “He’s a guy that he’s one of the first ones in the building every single day. He is always studying his playbook while he’s eating breakfast. He is always the last one off the prosecute field, doing the jugs machine. Model of consistency, which for a rookie speaks volumes. As a coaching staff I know we really believe in him and he has is really just scratching the surface of what he’s going to become.”
It’s early in his career but the Loveland pick looks better and better as each week goes on in Chicago.
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