With the NFL's final preseason games firmly in the rearview mirror, the season is right around the corner. Expectations are high around the league, but one could argue that they're the tallest in Chicago due to the finish the Bears had to end the 2025 campaign. Colston Loveland was one of the Bears' most prolific young players, and there's no doubt that he's on the precipice of another breakout season.
Most players in the NFL don't end up as household names. A lot of guys that are lucky enough to make an NFL roster make it into a handful of games, and carry on. The difference is in the contributions they make when they're there. Joe Thuney is an excellent example of this. Thuney's input is almost never going to show up on the stat sheet, but his contribution is imperative to the team.
Colston Loveland is already embracing the sacrifice the Bears' offense will demand
Through various roster injuries and scratches, Loveland ended up as a larger part of the Bears' passing game in 2025 than initially expected. Whether this was Coach Johnson's plan all along or not, we'll never know. But does Loveland's performance in the latter half of 2025 mean he's going to be a prominent receiving piece in 2026? That may not be the case.
"If that means I don't get 1,200 yards or whatever it may be, at the end of the day it's about winning. You feel a lot better winning a game than going crazy and losing a game, you know?"Colston Loveland
Loveland was recently featured on The Pivot Podcast where he discussed many things, including his role as a contributor to the team. But you can tell from his attitude throughout that he's not in this for personal glory. Rather, it would appear that Loveland understands the team dynamic. For a team to success, it's not a matter of the individual, it's a matter of the whole.
Expectations will keep climbing for Loveland, especially when reports from camp are claiming that Loveland has been a monster on the field. But whether or not he'll have quite the season he did last time remains to be seen. The Bears hold a much deeper receiver room going into this season, and unless several injuries rise him to the top, Loveland will likely take a small step back.
That's not to say that Loveland isn't going to be catching passes. The Bears would be foolish to not lean into the obvious chemistry displayed by Caleb Williams and Loveland. But if winning means Loveland’s numbers take a step back in 2026, he’s already made it clear that it won’t bother him.
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