Let’s get one thing straight before we even start: If you were one of the meatheads calling Colston Loveland a "bust" in Week 6, delete your account. Seriously. Go ahead and scrub it before the internet receipts come for your soul. Because what we just watched over the back half of the 2025 season wasn’t just a rookie figuring it out — it was the arrival of a nuclear weapon in cleats.
The 2025 season for the Chicago Bears was a weird, wild ride. We had the foundational shift. We had Caleb Williams finally looking like the Prince that was Promised. We had Ben Johnson scheming up plays that actually made sense (a concept foreign to this city for about 30 years). But the real story? The one that’s going to matter when we’re talking about Super Bowl windows in 2026 and 2027? It’s the kid from Michigan.
Colston Loveland’s rookie campaign was a microcosm of the entire offense: a clunky, frustrating mess early on, followed by a level of dominance that made defensive coordinators drink heavily on Tuesday nights. If you look at the final stat line, it looks solid. But if you actually watched the games — if you saw what he did from Week 9 on — you know we’re looking at the next George Kittle. Maybe better.
So, grab a beer (or three), because we’re going deep. We’re breaking down the good, the bad, and the absolutely filthy metrics that prove Colston Loveland is about to own this league.
The Tale of Two Seasons: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
We need to be honest about how this started. The first two months of the season were rough. Not "Ryan Leaf" rough, but definitely "Why did we draft a tight end at No. 10 when we have Cole Kmet?" rough.
The narrative was clear: Loveland was swimming upstream. He was splitting reps. He was blocking (poorly, at times). He was basically a glorified decoy running cardio routes to clear out space for DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. It was annoying. We knew the talent was there — you don’t move like a 240-pound gazelle by accident — but the production? Non-existent.
Then came the bye week (or near it), the adjustments, and suddenly... click.
Here is the cold, hard data on the most bipolar rookie season I’ve ever seen.
The Breakdown
| Phase | Timeframe | Rec | Yards | TDs | Y/Rec | Vibes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The "WTF" Phase | Weeks 1–8 | 16 | 143 | 0 | 8.9 | Panic & Anger |
| The "God Mode" Phase | Weeks 9–18 | 42 | 570 | 6 | 13.6 | Pure Euphoria |
| TOTAL | 2025 Season | 58 | 713 | 6 | 12.3 | Stardom |
The "Acclimation" Phase (Weeks 1–8)
Look at those numbers again. 16 catches in 8 games. That is two catches a game. I catch two beers from my buddy during a tailgate in five minutes. It was pathetic.
The problem wasn't entirely on him, though. Ben Johnson — god bless him — was trying to be too cute. He was using Loveland to drag safeties out of the play so Rome and DJ could eat underneath. Effective? Sure. Fun for fantasy owners or fans who bought a No. 15 jersey. Now, to be fair, no one was seriously calling him a bust yet. But fans were getting rightfully upset about the process. We were all asking the same question: Why go tight end at pick 10 when we all know this defensive line desperately needed the help?
The "Dominance" Phase (Weeks 9–18)
Then Week 9 happened. The 47-42 shootout win. That game was the moment the franchise changed.
Loveland went off: 118 yards, 2 TDs, 7 targets.
He stopped thinking and started playing. He housed a seam route where he outran a safety who runs a 4.4. He mossed a linebacker in the red zone. From that moment on, he wasn't "TE2." He was the second-best receiver on the team.
If you extrapolate his final 9 games over a full 17-game season, you get this: 79 catches, 1,076 yards, 11 touchdowns.
Read that again. Those are Sam LaPorta numbers. Those are "First-Team All-Pro" numbers. That is what we have moving forward.
The Ben Johnson Effect: Unlocking the Cheat Code
We need to talk about Ben Johnson. When the Bears hired him, we heard all about his "genius." We heard about how he turned Jared Goff into a efficient robot and made Sam LaPorta look like prime Gronk.
Well, it took eight weeks, but we finally saw the blueprint.
Johnson stopped using Loveland as a traditional in-line tight end and started using him as a "Move TE" — a massive slot receiver who destroys matchups.
The "Big Slot" Revolution
Here is the stat that matters more than any other: Loveland played 48% of his snaps from the slot.
Why does this matter? Because linebackers are too slow to cover him, and nickel corners are too small to tackle him. It’s physics. When you put a 6'5", 245-pound dude with 4.5 speed in the slot, the defense has to make a choice:
- Put a LB on him --> Mismatch (Speed)
- Put a Safety on him --> Mismatch (Size)
- Double him --> Leaves DJ Moore or Rome single-covered.
It’s a "pick your poison" scenario, and by Week 12, defenses were just choosing death.
Advanced Metrics That Pop
Per the nerdy analytics guys (who are right this time), Loveland’s efficiency was off the charts.
- Yards Per Route Run (YPRR): 1.94.
- Context: For a rookie, anything over 1.50 is good. Over 2.0 is elite. He was flirting with elite status despite the slow start.
- Passer Rating When Targeted: 128.3 (Second Half of Season).
- Context: A perfect passer rating is 158.3. When Caleb threw the ball to Loveland, good things happened. Every time.
Especially in the Red Zone. This was my biggest gripe with Kmet over the years — he’s big, but he doesn’t always play "big." Loveland plays like he’s insulted you tried to cover him. He converted 6 of his 9 red zone targets into touchdowns down the stretch. That is efficiency that wins playoff games.
Historical Context: Where Does He Rank?
I know, I know. "Don't compare him to the greats yet." Screw that. This is sports; comparing players is half the fun.
Let’s stack Loveland’s rookie year against the recent gold standards of the position.
| Player | Rookie Year | Rec | Yards | TDs | Y/Rec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colston Loveland | 2025 | 58 | 713 | 6 | 12.3 |
| Sam LaPorta | 2023 | 86 | 889 | 10 | 10.3 |
| Kyle Pitts | 2021 | 68 | 1,026 | 1 | 15.1 |
| Brock Bowers | 2024 | 74 | 1,194 | 6 | 16.1 |
| T.J. Hockenson | 2019 | 32 | 367 | 2 | 11.5 |
The Takeaway: He didn't catch as many balls as LaPorta or Bowers. Fine. But look at the Touchdowns. He tied Bowers with 6, despite doing nothing for two months.
His trajectory reminds me of George Kittle. Remember Kittle’s rookie year? 43 catches, 515 yards, 2 TDs. Loveland blew that out of the water. Kittle exploded in Year 2. If Loveland follows that same arc—and considering he’s arguably a more polished receiver coming out of college — we are looking at a 1,000-yard monster in 2026.
He finished 3rd among rookies in yards (behind Fannin Jr. and Warren — props to them), but led the class in TDs. He’s the most complete threat of the bunch.
The 2026 Projection: To The Moon
So, what happens next?
If you’re a dynasty fantasy owner, you hold him like he’s gold bullion. If you’re a Bears fan, you buy the jersey. Now.
Here is my no-BS projection for Colston Loveland in Year 2.
Projected 2026 Stat Line:
- Receptions: 85 - 95
- Yards: 1,050 - 1,150
- Touchdowns: 8 - 10
Why the massive jump?
- The Death of the "Y" Tight End Debate: Cole Kmet is a good player. He’s a Bear. I like him. But he is not Colston Loveland. Next year, the roles will be crystal clear. Kmet is the "Y" — the blocker, the safety valve, the guy who gets the dirty yards. Loveland is the "F" — the weapon. He will absorb all the vacated targets and likely eat into the WR3 share too. The passing offense runs through him now.
- Caleb Williams Year 3: Caleb is entering his third year, his second fully comfortable in this system. The "sophomore slump" or "learning curve" is over. He trusts Loveland. You saw it in Weeks 14-18. When the play broke down, his eyes went to No. 84. That chemistry is invaluable.
- Defensive Nightmares: Opposing coordinators have a problem. They have to double DJ Moore. They have to respect Luther Burden’s speed in the slot. They have to stack the box against Monangai (our 7th-round savior). Who is left to cover Loveland? A linebacker? Good luck. A safety? Too small. He is going to feast on single coverage all year long.
Final Verdict
Colston Loveland has graduated. He’s no longer a "high-upside prospect." He is a blue-chip asset.
The 2025 season was a tease. It was the appetizer. The second half of the season showed us who he really is: a game-wrecking, seam-stretching, touchdown-scoring machine who fits Ben Johnson’s offense like a glove.
If he stays healthy, he isn't just going to the Pro Bowl. He’s going to be the guy we talk about in the same breath as Kelce and Gronk five years from now. I know that sounds like homer hype, but the tape doesn't lie. The kid is special.
So, go ahead. Get excited. For once, the Bears drafted a playmaker, developed him, and unleashed him. And the rest of the NFC North is about to find out just how scary that is.
Bear Down
