The Bears drafted tight end Colston Loveland with plans he’d play alongside veteran Cole Kmet, at least this year.
Kmet didn’t practice all week because of a back injury he suffered last week against the Saints, though, leaving the No. 10 overall pick to go it alone against the Ravens on Sunday.
It could be a glimpse of the Bears’ future — Kmet, who has never missed a game as a pro, could be dropped this offseason with a $3.2 million dead cap hit. The Bears’ comfort level in doing that, though, relies in part on how well-rounded Loveland can become.
Kmet is an inline tight end. The Bears have used Lovleand all over the field — of his 153 snaps this season, 34 have come with him in the slot and 22 with him split wide. The Bears believe he can do even more.
“I don’t think there’s any question about it,” coach Ben Johnson said. “Since he entered the building, for a rookie, he’s one of the more professional guys that I’ve been around. His approach to practice, to meetings, it’s outstanding. Mentally, he can handle all of it. And then, physically, I think he continues to grow.”
Loveland has grown more comfortable with run-blocking. Offensive line coach Dan Roushar has noticed the nastiness in practice; during the offseason program, it was impossible to tell how well Loveland would handle the physicality of the NFL because he was recovering from shoulder surgery.
“You can never know too much,” Loveland said. “So I’ve got to continue to keep learning. And we’re throwing new stuff in all the time, so you never really know it, you know, until you go through the week and prepare for it. But I feel good. Just continue to get better in my technique and knowing more football.”
He has a lot to prove.
The Bears drafted the Michigan star instead of Penn State’s Tyler Warren, who was taken four picks later by the Colts. The Bears liked the fluidity of Loveland’s route-running and raw strength with which he played. Johnson said that he could “see a lot of comparisons” to Sam LaPorta, who had 1,615 receiving yards in his two seasons playing for Johnson in Detroit.
Warren, though, has been electric as a rookie. His 439 receiving yards rank first among all NFL tight ends and 17th across all pass-catchers.
Loveland, who missed the Raiders game with a hip injury, has caught just eight passes for 78 yards. Despite that modest production, there are signs that quarterback Caleb Williams considers him a trusted target.
When the Bears trailed the Commanders by two at the two-minute warning in Week 6, Williams found Loveland for a six-yard gain on third-and-five. The Bears ran the ball five times and kicked the game-winning field goal. On third-and-seven in the second quarter Sunday, Williams found Loveland for nine yards. On fourth-and-three, the two teamed up for an eight-yard gain.
“The safety blanket of a receiver when he’s running routes and things like that — that’s how it feels when he’s back there,” Williams said. “We’ve had back-to-back games in big moments where the ball has gone to him. So I think that’s just kudos to the type of player he is. …
“Obviously he’s been trying to get on the same page with me, and I think that’s going to just keep growing with our years here together.”
Sunday will be the first glimpse of it.
“What I’m worried about is winning games, and we’ve been doing that,” Loveland said. “Obviously, we’ve got to get a lot better … Whenever my number’s called, I’ve got to go make a play. So I believe that there’ll be a game where I get my opportunity. So I’ve just got to make the most of it, and continue trusting in it.”