The Chicago Bears need to get something going on offense. Expectations were at an all-time high when they signed offensive guru Ben Johnson to be their next head coach, and while there are always growing pains with first-year coaches, things haven't gone as expected.
That's also the case with rookie tight end Colston Loveland. The Bears took him with the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, yet he has been a non-factor through the first games of the season.
Loveland has played 55% of offensive snaps in his first two games, which is a grand total of 74 snaps. He's turned those into two receptions on three targets for 12 yards, and is currently Pro Football Focus' 59th-best tight end (48.7) out of 68 eligible options. Those struggles will persist until the Bears give him more playing time.
Bears Need to Get Rookie TE Colston Loveland More Involved
The Bears' decision to take Loveland over Tyler Warren, the consensus TE1 in his class, was met with skepticism. They said it all came down to fit, but while Warren is wreaking havoc with the Indianapolis Colts, Loveland has been merely a blocker, receiving only 4.6% of quarterback Caleb Williams' targets so far.
Notably, Johnson acknowledged that he needed to get both of his tight ends going, as Cole Kmet hasn't fared much better despite logging 47 more snaps. So far, he's been limited to three receptions on six targets for 60 yards and no scores:
"I knew that first game, the tight end position wasn't going to be featured as much," Johnson said on Monday, via A to Z Sports' Kole Noble. "I was hopeful that this game, we would bounce back a little bit more, both with Cole (Kmet) and Colston. I think Luther's slowly gaining the trust as we go here. We're trying to get him more packages as we're going. "
Kmet has already proved what he can do, but given his contract situation, he was also a potential trade candidate to open up more room and touches for the rookie out of Michigan. That could still be the case if the Bears continue to struggle.
Loveland was supposed to be Johnson's version of Sam LaPorta, and not getting him involved in the passing game is a disservice to his playmaking skills, not to mention it would pretty much be a waste of a top-ten pick.
Even if he doesn't do well, the Bears must feed Loveland to get a better understanding of his ceiling. They spent a very valuable asset to get him, and it's not like what they're doing now is working, highlighting how anything is worth trying at this point.