(670 The Score) When the Bears submitted their selection for the No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the prevailing belief was a tight end was headed to Chicago — just not that tight end.
Tyler Warren, a standout at Penn State, was viewed by many draft pundits as the top tight end in the class, but the Bears didn’t see it that way. They gave the edge to Michigan's Colston Loveland, a playmaker whom they selected instead.
At the time, there was some doubt throughout the NFL about the Bears' choice of Loveland over Warren. No longer is that the case after Loveland's strong rookie campaign.
Loveland had 58 receptions for 713 yards and six touchdowns in his first NFL season. After a slow start to the season, Loveland emerged as a dynamic weapon and go-to receiver for the Bears.
“Just breaking the seal,” Loveland said.
Before Chicago played at Cincinnati on Nov. 2, Loveland had just 11 catches and no touchdowns in six games. Part of the reason for his slow start was that he missed his initial chance at onboarding with the team.
Loveland spent his first NFL offseason recovering from shoulder surgery. He stepped in at the start of training camp but was playing from behind.
Then came that Sunday afternoon in Cincinnati. Loveland hauled in six receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead 58-yard score with 17 seconds remaining.
Loveland didn’t look back, and the Bears’ trust in him never wavered.
“He’s very reliable,” Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said. “He’s a friendly target to throw to. We talk about that a lot. He’s a big player with a big catch radius, and you don’t see a lot of tight ends that can do both. He does a really good job in the run game. That’s probably an unsung part of his game that when you turn the tape on, it’s really impressive for him – a guy that can threaten you on third down and yet on base downs can help you and be an extension of the offensive line. The biggest thing is you know what to expect out of the player. He’s a guy that you trust in big moments.
“That was what showed up on tape throughout his college tape. You hope that a player develops into that. He certainly met our expectations, and he still has meat on the bone as far as his growth.”
Bears head coach Ben Johnson had a critical voice in the decision to select Loveland over Warren, and he was thrilled to see how Loveland produced in his first season.
“I see him as a complete tight end,” Johnson said. “And I think that's what makes him so dangerous is because he can wear so many hats.”
Down the closing stretch of the regular season and in the playoffs, Loveland went from being one of many options in the Bears' offense to being a key target. It seemed that whenever quarterback Caleb Williams needed to extend a drive, he was looking for Loveland.
That connection was the product of hard work by Loveland and the Bears, who view him as an important piece to their plans. At the end of his impressive rookie season, Loveland was thinking toward the future.
“Keep putting in the work,” he said. “Things can definitely get better.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.