Considering that Caleb Williams has missed the bulk of the early-season Chicago Bears fans feel understandably positive about where the offense currently stands. With the starting quarterback in the lineup once again, the expectation is we will see a lot more games like Week 1. However, there is no way around the fact that there is a real concern when it comes to the performance of Colston Loveland, and a complete lack of having a consistent offensive impact.
Rewind to the end of last season and Loveland was putting together incredible performances on the biggest stage. There was an argument to be made that when the playoffs rolled around that it was Loveland who was the most trusted target of Williams. Fast forward five games into the 2026 season and the tight end has managed 110 receiving yards with zero touchdowns on 23 targets.
Loveland hasn't appeared to be the same explosive source of offense that fans were expecting to see a bit more consistently moving forward. While it is a small sample size, even in the two starts that Williams made this season the second-year pass catcher managed all of three yards on five combined targets.
There is every reason to worry and wonder what exactly has happened to push the talent so far out of Ben Johnson's offense. Rookie Zavion Thomas has had an argument of making a more consistent impact based on showing up on special teams and offering speed out of the backfield. There simply is no understating just how frustrating it has been to watch things fall so far from expectations.
Colston Loveland is one of Bears clear concerns as tight end continues to endure slow start to 2026 season
It is a situation to keep a close eye on and one that doesn't have a clear explanation. We are seeing Luther Burden and Rome Odunze both remaining consistently involved and targeted despite the quarterback changes or even when there is a heavier focus on running the football. No question, it is a bit alarming and hopefully not a sign of things to come as Loveland is expected to be a building block.
Fans can take a bit of comfort in the fact the elite talent that was flashed a season ago hasn't gone anywhere. It isn't as if Loveland is an aging player, or a piece that benefited from a system that has changed. All of the needed factors for Loveland to be more consistently involved are in place.
With this in mind, expectations should remain high while there is no way of getting around the clear level of anxiety that fans should feel when realizing just how far from expectations the early-season results have fallen.
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