Colston Loveland’s rookie season with Chicago Bears just got better

Chicago Bears first-round pick Colston Loveland has been everything that coach Ben Johnson suggested he’d be after the team selected him with the 10th overall pick last April.

“With Colston it starts more with the person than the player,” Johnson said after the draft. “I love the tape, but when you get to know him as a man, it’s really intriguing. It’s who we want to be going forward. He stands for high football character and IQ. When we went to Michigan everyone was raving about him, you could tell he was very well respected. Going from Idaho to the big stage, he didn’t bat an eye.

“I do see a lot of comparisons to LaPorta, but that’s not just on the field, that’s off the field as well. The stage was never too bright for LaPorta, and I felt that same thing with Colston the first time I met him. He doesn’t bat an eye, he performs at a high level, and where we are going in this organization, we need guys who are going to rise up to the occasion and he’s going to do that for us.”

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And here we are, with one regular season in the books, and Loveland has been all that and more.

In fact, Loveland was so good in Week 18 that he was named the NFL’s Rookie of the Week.

Colston Loveland set a career high with 10 catches for 91 yards and a touchdown against the Detroit Lions. One week earlier, Loveland snagged six catches for 94 yards and a score.

Needless to say, he’s stepped up in Rome Odunze’s absence and has become Caleb Williams’ favorite target.

Loveland’s first regular season ended with a team-leading 713 yards on 58 catches. He scored six TDs.

There’s no doubt that Loveland has played like a top-10 pick and is now considered one of the best young tight ends in the NFL. The connection he’s built with Caleb Williams is conjuring memories of Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski.

Yes, Bears fans, it’s OK to dream.

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