Colston Loveland shows steady strides as Bears tight end enters Year 2 healthy and more embedded in the offense

Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland is approaching Year 2 with an offseason experience he missed a season ago. In the team’s veteran minicamp and OTAs, the No. 10 overall pick from 2025 says he is fully healthy and enjoying the day-to-day work of learning the pro routine with teammates, not rehabbing away from it.

Loveland’s first offseason with the Bears was complicated. The Bears’ team report notes that about a year ago he was recovering from an injury he sustained during his final season at Michigan, which caused him to miss the on-field portions of the offseason program and the start of training camp. That timing mattered for a rookie tight end in a complex offense, where timing with quarterbacks, route recognition, and blocking assignments often have to be built in the summer before full-speed practices begin.

According to the Bears, that slow start was followed by a clearer role as the season progressed. Loveland ultimately became one of quarterback Caleb Williams’ most trusted targets in the second half of the year, a transition the Bears attribute to both growth from Loveland and the quarterback connection that developed as trust increased.

The production picture, per Chicago, was strong enough to change how the position was viewed week to week. In 16 games, Loveland recorded 58 receptions for 713 yards and six touchdowns, and each touchdown “led the Bears,” meaning those scores came at turning points rather than in low-leverage situations. The tight end also produced in a way that aligned with Chicago’s need for reliable third-down options and red-zone targets.

Head coach Ben Johnson framed what he is seeing now as more than just improved numbers later in a season. Speaking before the first veteran minicamp practice, Johnson said Loveland has been consistent, that he is “always in his playbook” and “always taking notes,” and that it takes young players time to understand what it means to be a professional. Johnson added that Loveland thrives when the pressure rises, particularly when games call for precision rather than simple effort.

For Loveland personally, the biggest difference is access and availability. The Bears report includes Loveland’s comments that he is grateful to be healthy and out with teammates, describing the offseason work as “fun” and something he would want to be doing even if the work is grind-level at times. The subtext is clear: Year 2 is where the learning curve becomes a habit, not an assignment.

The next test for the Bears and for Loveland is how that habit translates during training camp and into the regular season. OTAs and minicamp are where players sharpen details, refine their route adjustments, and show whether coaches can trust them in the middle of practice reps. For a tight end, the evaluation rarely ends with receiving progress, because the same player has to be steady in run fits and in pass protection when the pace intensifies.

For Bears fans, this offseason story is less about a single moment and more about stability. Loveland’s trajectory, from missing early work to becoming a central target, suggests he is still ascending. Now, with a healthier start and a full offseason pathway, the question becomes whether his consistency can carry from the second half of Year 1 into the early stretches of Year 2, when roles are set and chemistry is built.