The Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland has an issue. Across two NFL games, he has been getting open, but the ball is not finding him. That is the curious tale of the season’s beginning, and it is worth considering before Week 3 starts.
Loveland is a former No. 10 overall draft pick who was the fourth-best tight end in yards per route last season. He closed his rookie campaign with 28 catches, 378 yards and two touchdowns in the final four games. He has one catch in 2026. The team has scored three points in one game and 59 in another, and he went without a catch in Week 1.
The Target Problem
Five targets overall is a low total for a tight end who had 10 or more targets in the two final games of the 2025 regular season, along with both playoff games. The reason for the drop seems to be two forces acting together: defenses are focusing their efforts on him, and quarterback Caleb Williams is not choosing to throw to him when he is open.
Loveland found himself open, only to have Williams already locked in on a different receiver or thrown to someone else in the same instant. At other times, Williams was in escape mode or under pressure from the rush during his routes. The Bears have leaned on Loveland as a pass-blocker more than in any other game, with his pass-blocking rate higher in Week 2 than at any point in the second half of last season, per PFF.
Why Loveland Is Blocking More
The largest test came when facing the Minnesota Vikings, a team that blitzes more than any other in the league. Minnesota brought pressure on 75.3% of its pass plays in its first two games, while no other team even approaches that rate, with the next team blitzing just 46.6%. Chicago answered by protecting Williams, with Loveland stepping in to aid the offensive line.
The Bears locked up the game’s outcome with a sack on backup quarterback Tyson Bagent on the final play. They needed a touchdown with the ball on the 12-yard line, and instead kept Loveland in pass protection, taking a tall, physical weapon out of play downfield.
What the Numbers Show
Analysis of Loveland’s past blocking rates points to this as a one-off increase against a defense that blitzes constantly. The result of the final play should remind the coaching staff that the star tight end is best deployed down the field rather than in the trenches.
The real worry is that Chicago may not trust its offensive line to protect Williams in its toughest matchups. With less time for Williams to act, Loveland has less time to get downfield. That situation could keep him from reaching the per-route yardage numbers he posted as a rookie.
The Routes Still Come
There’s no reason to worry about Loveland’s blocking workload in Week 2, since it was probably a result of facing a strong defensive front. Consider the previous week as proof: he ran a team-high 33 routes against the Panthers, outdistancing everyone else on the offensive side of the ball.
Loveland kept his title as the Bears’ most active route-runner despite his reduction in opportunities last week. Through two games, the top five in routes run stand as:
- Colston Loveland, 61
- Rome Odunze, 57
- Luther Burden III, 55
- Kalif Raymond, 53
- Cole Kmet, 32
It only takes two games to begin a season, and that count is brief. Loveland proved last year that he can build a late-season surge into genuine danger, and the numbering of his routes indicates the Bears still trust him as a receiver.
What This Means for the Bears
There is no clear pattern yet in the early numbers. Loveland is drawing attention from the offense, but the catches are not following. A shift could still happen.
The bigger issue is the protection problem. The less time Williams has to operate in the pocket, the less time Loveland has to get downfield. That is a coaching question as much as a personnel one, and the Bears will need to find a way to keep Williams in the pocket without taking Loveland out of action.
The early-season noise has a way of settling. Loveland is a talented player with a proven track record, and the sample size is small enough that one week’s failure does not have to stick. The Bears have plenty of reasons to believe the best is still ahead for their former No. 10 overall draft pick — even if the stat sheet does not agree yet.
Source material: “What happened to Colston Loveland? Why Bears tight end has one catch entering Week 3,” CBS Sports.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.