Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland is expected to practice Saturday, one day after a neck injury limited him ahead of Monday night's trip to Seattle, the team announced as the Bears prepared for Monday's game in Seattle against the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks.
Coach Ben Johnson said Saturday the team is hopeful Loveland's injury is minor, according to the Chicago Tribune . Johnson wants to see how the tight end responds on the field before Chicago settles on a designation. Loveland was expected to practice, according to The Athletic . No comment from Loveland on his injury has yet been reported.
The Bears already lost Cole Kmet for the season, and Loveland's status now shapes how Chicago attacks the Seahawks, while a final designation hinges on Saturday's practice.
Loveland was limited Friday by a neck injury, according to CBS Sports . He had practiced without limitations or injury designation Thursday, so the issue has surfaced on one report so far. It is unclear when he suffered the injury, and no specific cause has been reported.
The listing is Loveland's first appearance on an injury report in more than a year, according to the Chicago Sun-Times . It arrives after a slow start gave way to 13 catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns across his last two games. He has 26 catches for 244 yards and two touchdowns on the season.
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Loveland grew up in Gooding, Idaho, and was branding cattle two days before the draft , according to ESPN . At Gooding High School he finished with 235 receptions for 3,141 yards , then committed to Michigan.
At Michigan he totaled 117 receptions for 1,466 yards and 11 touchdowns in 39 games, including 24 starts. He led the Wolverines with 64 receiving yards in the 2023 national championship win over Washington. A second-team All-America selection in 2024, he set a career high with 56 catches.
The Bears selected him 10th overall in the 2025 draft, the first tight end taken. Loveland missed the offseason recovering from shoulder surgery , then returned for training camp. His 6-foot-6, 241-pound frame and route-running create mismatches against defenses. Multiple tight-end sets anchor Johnson's offense .
Loveland led the Bears with 58 receptions for 713 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie, according to the team. He was the first rookie to lead Chicago in receiving since Willie Gault in 1983 and the first tight end since Mike Ditka in 1961.
"There's been an immense trust level, and his route tree has grown accordingly," Johnson said, reflecting a role for Loveland that expanded through the season. That trust extends to quarterback Caleb Williams , who threw Loveland a 1-yard touchdown pass in the Dec. 7 game at Green Bay that tied the score 21-21.
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If Loveland sits, rookie Sam Roush is the next option , according to RotoBaller . Roush, a third-round pick from Stanford, is the only other tight end on the 53-man roster. The Bears could promote Stephen Carlson or Qadir Ismail from the practice squad.
Without Loveland, Chicago would lean on wide receivers such as Rome Odunze and Luther Burden, or on heavier personnel, in place of the two-tight-end sets Johnson favors. Johnson said Saturday that Chicago should count running back Kyle Monangai out, which would make Monday his fourth straight missed game.
Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET Monday, and the Bears will release final game designations after Saturday's practice.
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