Apparently, Colston Loveland is that “dude.”
After the rookie tight end led the Chicago Bears in Saturday’s 31-27 win over the Green Bay Packers with eight receptions for 137 yards, former Bears tight end and current Fox Sports analyst Greg Olsen exclaimed on social media, “Colston Loveland is a dude!!!”
“The dude is a baller, through and through,” Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze said. “He’s doing that throughout the whole entire season. Seeing him go out there and making plays really was no surprise.”
Loveland’s performance included the second-most yards in NFL postseason history for a rookie tight end behind the Philadelphia Eagles’ Keith Jackson, who had 142 receiving yards in a 20-12 loss to the Bears on Dec. 31, 1988, at Soldier Field.
Loveland also passed Willie Gault (129) on the Bears’ all-time list for the second-most receiving yards in a postseason game, trailing only Allen Robinson’s 143 yards on 10 catches during a 16-15 loss to the Eagles on Jan. 6, 2019.
But it goes beyond the historical ledger.
With the Bears’ playoff lives on the line, their reliance on a rookie tight end was telling. After they fell behind 21-3 at halftime, Loveland repeatedly moved the chains on must-have drives in the second half.
During one stretch in the late second and early third quarters, quarterback Caleb Williams targeted Loveland on seven of eight attempts, including six consecutive targets.
“I appreciate it,” Loveland said. “Obviously, anytime the ball is in the air, I want to make a play. And I had a couple drops, which I’ve got to clean up. But just super blessed to have that trust.”
The Bears drafted Loveland with the No. 10 pick out of Michigan to be a playmaker. He already has had some big moments, including a game-winning 58-yard touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals with 17 seconds left in a 47-42 barnburner in Week 9.
“He’s a guy that, when we drafted him, he was still coming off the (shoulder) injury,” Bears coach Ben Johnson said. “He really missed the springtime, and in training camp you’re trying to be smart in terms of how you’re acclimating him not just to the offense but physically, making sure his shoulder is good to go.
“It did take a little bit of time before we built that trust with him.”
In fact, Loveland didn’t reach 137 yards in his first six games combined.
He had 12 yards against the Minnesota Vikings in the season opener and was blanked against the Lions the next week in Detroit. Through six games he had caught 11 passes for 116 yards.
Then he had his breakout: six receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns on Nov. 2 against the Bengals.
“A little bit of a slower start early in the year, and then it’s just kind of picked up and it’s clicked for us,” Johnson said. “I know Caleb has an immense amount of trust in him.
“Model of consistency, which for a rookie speaks volumes. As a coaching staff I know we really believe in him, and he’s really just scratching the surface of what he’s going to become.”
Here’s a breakdown of some of Loveland’s key catches Saturday night at Soldier Field.
Second quarter, 1st-and-10 at the Bears 35-yard line
Result: 22-yard reception to the Packers 43.
Context: On replay, Loveland twitched his leg and nearly false-started, but no flag was thrown.
Luther Burden III motioned over to Loveland’s side, and Packers safety Xavier McKinney started to backpedal. Loveland ran up the seam and curled inside McKinney.
That drive resulted in a turnover on downs with an incompletion to Loveland over the middle on fourth-and-4, but the earlier play was Loveland’s first reception and Williams’ first completion of more than 20 yards.
Third quarter, third-and-7 at the Bears 40
Result: 29-yard reception to the Packers 31.
Next play, first-and-10 at the Packers 31
Result: 19-yard reception to the Packers 12.
Context: Williams had just thrown an incompletion to Loveland on 2nd-and-7, but he went right back to the rookie for a 29-yard hookup. The Bears had three pass catchers bunched to the left. The Packers sent McKinney on a safety blitz, so the Bears had a three-on-two and Loveland drifted to the sideline uncovered.
On the next play, Williams found him again on a crossing route for a 19-yard gain, 11 coming after the catch.
That drive resulted in a 34-yard Cairo Santos field goal and chipped the deficit to 21-6.
Fourth quarter, first-and-10 at the Bears 45
Result: 22-yard reception to the Packers 33.
Two plays later, second-and-10 at the Packers 33
Result: 21-yard reception to the Packers 12.
Context: After an 11-yard scramble by Williams, the Bears went no huddle and Loveland beat the Packers nickel package with an out-breaker to the left.
“Just a little sail-out route,” Loveland said. “Just no one there.”
Perhaps it should be called a sell route. DJ Moore sold the clear-out to Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine, nickel cornerback Javon Bullard bit on Cole Kmet’s flat route and free safety Evan Williams played back like he was expecting a deep middle shot to Loveland, leaving Loveland plenty of green grass to operate.
Two plays later, Loveland ran another out route and beat linebacker Quay Walker on a 21-yarder to the left sideline that carried the Bears to the 12. Walker played it well, but Loveland’s athleticism shone through.
D’Andre Swift finished off the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run.
Fourth quarter, 2-point conversion try at the Packers 2
Result: Williams completed a pass shallow left to Loveland.
Context: After the Bears pulled within 27-22 on Williams’ 8-yard connection with Olamide Zaccheaus, he found Loveland by the left pylon for the 2-point conversion.
The conversion was huge. Not only did it put the Bears within a field goal of tying the Packers, but when the Bears scored a touchdown later, it forced the Packers, down by four, to go for a touchdown instead of a field goal.
Fourth quarter, second-and-10 at the Bears 34
Result: 12-yard reception to the Bears 46.
Context: On second-and-10, Loveland helped keep the game-winning drive going with a 12-yard pickup, 5 of which he gained after the catch.
Four plays later, Williams lobbed the go-ahead touchdown pass to Moore.
After the game, Williams sang Loveland’s praises.
“We got a home run with him, and that’s something coach said the other day to me,” Williams said. “We were sitting in his office and everybody goes back to draft night. Why did we get Colston Loveland and why did we do this and why did we do that?
“It’s Colston Loveland, you know what I mean? That’s who he is. One of the hardest workers on this team. He’s there late, he’s there early. His body language when he’s on the field, all of that is — I’m excited for what’s to come.”
Loveland, who won a national championship with Michigan in 2023, said the moment wasn’t too big for him in his NFL playoff debut.
“There was definitely a lot more hype around it, but at the end of the day, you’re going out there and playing a game you’ve always been playing,” he said. “That’s important to remember that. You’ve played this game before. Don’t let the lights be too bright.”