Chicago’s Bold Move: Bears’ TE Colston Loveland Takes Center Stage Despite Reality Check

The Chicago Bears didn't have an overwhelming need at tight end entering the 2025 NFL Draft, which is why GM Ryan Poles' decision to select former Michigan standout Colston Loveland with the 10th overall pick qualified as at least a minor surprise.

Loveland was undoubtedly worthy of a top-10 selection, but the presence of Cole Kmet, who signed a four-year, $50 million contract in 2023, made an investment in a tight end that was that massive pretty shocking.

Now, it's up to Loveland to prove he was worth Poles spending a premium pick on him.

There's only one problem. Loveland is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. He didn't participate in any of the Bears' offseason workout program (the on-field stuff), and while he's expected to be ready to go for training camp, I'll believe it when I see it.

If Loveland needs more time to get 100% healthy, or if the Chicago Bears decide to ease him back into football work, the odds he'll make a big impact early in the 2025 season are low. As a result, he was recently mentioned among first-round picks who are destined to disappoint this year.

Not great.

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"His onboarding into the offense will take some time. Tight end is already a notoriously slow-developing position because of how it has to be engaged in the passing game with an understanding of all blocking and protection schemes," Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski wrote. "Time missed now, while slowly working Loveland into the mix during training camp and possibly the preseason, will have an effect on his ability to contribute as a rookie, particularly during the first half of the regular season."

Disappointment is a relative term, isn't it? The only way Colston Loveland could truly be a disappointment in his rookie season is if he makes absolutely no impact at all.

Bears fans understand he's entering the league with a special set of circumstances. He's banged up; we all know this. Expecting a fast start from a young player at a tough position to make that pro leap, all while having a productive veteran in front of him, would be illogical. Instead, all Loveland has to do is prove that he's on a trajectory to superstardom.

And while that may sound like a big ask, it really isn't. It only requires him to be a flash player in 2025. Perhaps those flashes come as Williams' primary red-zone target. Maybe they come via a chunk play or two in every game. Or, who knows? Maybe Loveland is a quick study and emerges as one of the NFL's true mismatches at tight end in Year 1.

Loveland's floor is very high as a rookie, especially with Ben Johnson dialing up plays. Remember: He's Johnson's first-ever first-round pick as a head coach. There's no way he won't do everything in his power to create a package of plays that feature Loveland's strengths. At that point, it's up to the No. 10 pick to announce his arrival as the Bears' new TE1.