Colston Loveland overcame a slow start to his rookie season to finish the campaign as the team's leading pass catcher. Given his obvious talent, Ben Johnson's fondness for him, and his evident chemistry with Caleb Williams, all signs pointed to a breakout year in 2026.
Through two games, that hasn't been the case in the slightest. Despite running 63 routes, he's only drawn four targets, hauling in one reception for three receiving yards. He was blanked in Week 1 and didn't do much more in the loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
So, while he can also contribute with his blocking, and it's still way too early, one can only wonder whether this will be a trend. Is this just another slow start to the season, or do the Bears have a Colston Loveland problem?
The Bears need to get Colston Loveland going
Even when he wasn't heavily involved in the passing game, Loveland was often helpful with his physicality as a blocker. Ben Johnson's 'No block, no rock' philosophy had him opening up lanes for his teammates and waiting for his turn.
It's been two games, and while he continues to put his body on the line to create gaps for the rest, that hasn't translated into production for himself. He's out there and running routes, but the ball just isn't finding him — it's not even looking for him.
Maybe this is just circumstantial. Perhaps the Bears made the most of the defensive attention he drew to get everybody else going in Week 1, and Brian Flores just did a great job of messing with Caleb Williams' rhythm in Week 2.
But what if that's not the case? What if the doubters were right, he was a one-year wonder, and the Bears should've gone with Tyler Warren all along? At least, if there's a silver lining, it is that rookie TE Sam Roush didn't do much to leap past him in the pecking order with a couple of drops in Week 2.
It's early in the season, and the Bears' explosive offense has already shown what they're capable of. Of course, they won't be as good as they looked in the season opener or as bad as they seemed in the loss to Minnesota.
But even if the reality is somewhere in between, Loveland should get his touches and drive up his numbers in due time. Even so, unless there's something going on behind closed doors, this has been a concerning and flat-out odd start to the season.
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