The Chicago Bears have a great problem on their hands right now. Not only do they have a savvy offensive mind calling the shots and a former No. 1 pick under center, but they have more weapons than they can feed.
If having Rome Odunze, D'Andre Swift, Kyle Monangai, and Luther Burden III wasn't enough, Colston Loveland burst onto the scene in the second half of his rookie season. He got off to a slow start before leading the team in yards by the end of the campaign.
So, while he's already introduced himself to the world, the NFL has only seen a glimpse of what the Michigan product can do. That's why Burden officially became the first member of the Colston Loveland fan club, predicting a breakout campaign for the second-year tight end.
Colston Loveland will go off for the Bears in 2026
"Breakout year," Burden said of his teammate (h/t CHGO Bears). "Excited to see a breakout year from him... He's a problem, and a lot of teams are gonna know about it."
Loveland didn't look the part early on as a rookie, even drawing unflattering comps to Tyler Warren. Fortunately for the Bears, it didn't take long before he shut down all that noise and established himself as one of the most promising young players in the league.
Of course, he still has to earn his stripes and prove that the strong finish to the season wasn't a fluke. Everyone else in the league has a season's worth of his tape, and he won't sneak up on anybody anymore.
That said, his combination of athleticism, extensive route tree, and his versatility and ability to line up almost everywhere on offense make him a major threat. Also, standing at 6-foot-6 and 241 pounds, he's an absolute unit of a human being and a perennial mismatch, especially against smaller linebackers, safeties, and in the end zone.
Perhaps calling it a 'breakout' season for someone who's coming off eclipsing 900 receiving yards (including playoffs) is a bit of a stretch, but he's just getting started, and that's the worst version we'll ever see of him. That should be a scary thought for the rest of the league.
In a time when tight ends must be much more than just blockers. Loveland looks like the prototypical modern-day star, a YAC specialist who can break tackles and needs more than one guy to get him on the floor.
And with Odunze and Burden dealing with injuries and Zavion Thomas being just a rookie, Loveland looks like the strongest candidate to draw most of Caleb Williams' attention, at least early on in the season.
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