Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (leg) was the only player missing from Monday's brisk, 50-minute practice, according to Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune. Odunze is still not back on the practice field after leaving Thursday's practice early with a right-leg injury. The 24-year-old's status will be closely monitored heading into the team's Week 1 regular-season opener this Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. We should have a better read on the former first-rounder's status for this coming weekend once the Bears release their first official practice report of the season on Wednesday. But for now, Odunze's status is firmly up in the air. If he is limited or out against the Panthers, receivers Luther Burden III (groin), Kalif Raymond, and Zavion Thomas could all see extra targets, as well as tight end Colston Loveland. Odunze regressed with 44 catches and 661 receiving yards in his sophomore season in 2025 while playing in just 12 games due to a foot injury, but he also had a career-high six receiving touchdowns, and he is expected to have a bigger role in 2026 with DJ Moore out of the picture. As of right now, Odunze is shaping up as a shaky WR3/flex in Week 1 in fantasy because of his leg injury
Loveland is listed as a starting tight end along with Cole Kmet on the Bears' unofficial depth chart. The 10th overall pick in the 2025 Draft, Loveland had a slow start to his rookie season, coming out of Week 8 with 11 catches total on the campaign and one DNP due to a hip injury. From Week 9 through the Bears' divisional-round loss to the Rams, though, he ran roughshod over opposing defenses, hauling in 59 of 89 targets for 790 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games. Loveland capped that stretch with four consecutive contests with double-digit targets, indicating he left off last season as QB Caleb Williams' top option in the passing game. While Loveland still has to contend with WRs Rome Odunze and Luther Burden (groin) for the attention of Williams, the tight end is poised to make a leap to the NFL's best at the position
Loveland brought in one of three targets for 10 yards in the Bears' 27-9 preseason loss to the Bengals on Saturday. The second-year tight end was the subject of plenty of Caleb Williams' attention on the Bears' opening possession, but Loveland was only able to corral one of the three passes that went his way. Nevertheless, the target volume relative to playing time was an encouraging sign for Loveland's outlook heading into the regular season, when he'll look to build on the 58-713-6 line on 82 targets he compiled across 16 regular-season games during his 2025 rookie campaign
Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland is a Year 2 breakout candidate, and he has the potential to operate as quarterback Caleb Williams' favorite target in 2026. As a rookie last year, Loveland caught 58 passes for 713 yards and six touchdowns, despite operating behind Cole Kmet for a sizable portion of the season. Now that Loveland has staked his claim as the clear-cut No. 1 tight end in Chicago, he is trending up in fantasy football and has a chance to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards. There's suddenly an interesting conversation to be had regarding which Bears pass-catcher offers the most fantasy value between Loveland, Luther Burden III (groin), and Rome Odunze. At the moment, Loveland has an ADP of 44.6, which is just one spot higher than Burden and nearly eight spots higher than Odunze. RotoBaller's "Who Should I Draft?" tool agrees with the general population, suggesting Loveland as the ideal pick over Burden and Odunze
Loveland did not play in the Bears' 34-10 preseason win over the Browns on Saturday. Loveland and other key skill players -- including Luther Burden (groin), Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet -- sat out of Saturday's practice, allowing more snaps at tight end to go to Sam Roush and Stephen Carlson. Loveland, a first-round selection of the Bears in the 2025 NFL Draft, saw his playing time and production increase over the course of his rookie season, highlighted by his performance in Chicago's NFC wild-card win over Green Bay, when he caught eight passes (on 15 targets) for 137 yards. With DJ Moore (lower body) now in Buffalo, Loveland is poised to be an even bigger contributor to the Bears' offense in 2026, with Odunze, Burden and Kmet being his main competition for passes from quarterback Caleb Williams
Colston Loveland scored twice during red zone drills and could see an increased target share if WR Luther Burden III's injury sidelines him. Loveland is currently ranked as RotoBaller's TE3, and with DJ Moore's departure, he is expected to be a primary target alongside Burden and Rome Odunze
Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland is poised for a significant second season in 2026. After a strong finish in 2025, where he averaged nearly 5 receptions and 53 yards per game post-Week 9 and became the team's starter, Loveland is expected to see an increased role. With D.J. Moore's departure, Loveland could command a 25% target share in an offense that historically favors tight ends. Despite a high ranking (TE3), he has the potential to become the top fantasy tight end if his connection with Caleb Williams develops
Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews is in line for a solid 2026 season. Andrews had a down 2025 season, with 48 receptions for 470 yards and six touchdowns, finishing as the TE16 in half-PPR formats. That was with Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar still firmly in the mix, and star quarterback Lamar Jackson missing several games. Now, the Ravens hired Declan Doyle as the new offensive coordinator in 2026. Doyle came from the Chicago Bears in 2025 and has been under Broncos head coach Sean Payton for most of his coaching career. Both Payton's and Ben Johnson's offenses favor tight ends, with players like Sam LaPorta, Colston Loveland, and Saints tight end Jimmy Graham when Payton coached in New Orleans. There's a strong chance Andrews is the second option in the receiving game behind Zay Flowers, with a great quarterback supplying him as well. Ranked TE9 and 104 in RotoBaller's rankings, Andrews could be a great value this season
In 2025, the Chicago Bears used 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends), the sixth-most in the league, and 13 personnel, the fifth-most. Overall, the Bears played with at least two tight ends on the field about 45% of the time. So those numbers are high, but how did the offense perform in those situations? In EPA (Expected Points Added), the Bears were eighth best when in 12 personnel and ninth best when in 13, so it makes sense that this will continue to be a big part of Ben Johnson’s offense. Pro Football Focus recently ranked the top 32 tight ends in the NFL, and the Bears had two of them. Second-year pro Colston Loveland, who turned 22 in April, ranked fifth, and grizzled veteran Cole Kmet, who is just 27 years old, ranked 31st. “After a quiet start to his rookie campaign, Loveland really turned it on in the second half of the season,” PFF wrote. “The No. 10 overall pick’s 84.0 PFF grade was third among all tight ends in the NFL, while his 1.97 yards per route run were fifth. Loveland’s 597 receiving yards from Week 9 on were second in the league, while his 193 yards in the playoffs led all tight ends despite the Bears losing in the divisional round.” Loveland’s talent and versatility give him a legitimate chance at being the best tight end in the NFL in 2026. “Kmet continues to play an important role despite the presence of star youngster Colston Loveland,” PFF continued. “While Kmet hasn’t quite recaptured his peak receiving performance, he’s still averaged over 10 yards per reception in each of the past two seasons while tallying six touchdowns in the process. Kmet’s value as a blocker is also extremely important when it comes to maintaining the flexibility in Ben Johnson’s offense.” These two are a big reason why, in our latest Reacts poll, you voted the Bears’ tight end position group as the one you’re most confident in. But it’s not the only reason, because the Bears spent a second-round draft pick on Stanford’s Sam Roush. Roush brings the reputation of being an exceptional blocker, and that’s exactly what you want in your TE3, but defenses better not underestimate his athleticism. Last month, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was on the New Heights podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce , and when Travis mentioned that the Bears’ tight end room was one of his favorites in the NFL because “you got two absolute dogs,” Williams was quick to point out Roush. “I got a third one now,” Caleb said. “We got a new guy, new rookie guy. He’s built like the other guys also, tall, smooth, he’s a freak of nature. Run block, pass block, catch, all of that. Whatever we need. We’ve got three of those now. We’re juiced, I’m juiced. It’s always an advantage when you can have one tight end, but when you have three that can do it all, it’s a big advantage.” If the Bears increase their 12 nd 13 use in 2026, then Roush, who will turn 23 in September, will likely get more offensive snaps than last year’s number three tight end, Durham Smythe , who played about a quarter of the time (293 snaps). Roush also brings plenty of experience playing special teams with him (over 500 snaps at Stanford), so he’ll be a factor in the third phase too. Our Partners at FanDuel Sportsbook have Roush with some extremely long odds to win Rookie of the Year (+25,000), but you can get Loveland at -114 to go over or under 775.5 receiving yards. If you’re feeling really lucky, you can grab Loveland to win Offensive Player of the Year at +10,000. Besides our weekly SB Nation Reacts poll questions here at WCG, you can sign up here to participate in their emailed surveys with questions about the entire NFL
Kalif Raymond is expected to play a significant role for the Chicago Bears, with head coach Ben Johnson intending to utilize his versatility. However, Raymond's fantasy appeal is limited due to a crowded receiver room featuring Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III, a strong tight end in Colston Loveland, and the addition of speedster Zavion Thomas. Despite his potential to contribute on offense and special teams, Raymond's past production (24 catches, 289 yards, 1 TD last season) and advanced age (turning 32 in August) place him as WR101 in RotoBaller's rankings, making him a deep-league consideration at best
Chicago Bears rookie third-round wide receiver Zavion Thomas could emerge as "a valuable gadget player on offense" in Chicago in his first year in the NFL while also contributing his 4.28-second 40-yard-dash speed as a returner on special teams, according to Courtney Cronin of ESPN. Cronin questions whether head coach Ben Johnson has his next Jahmyr Gibbs, especially after the versatile speedster made plays during the offseason program and was labeled "electric" by teammates as he enters his first year in the league. The 21-year-old out of LSU obviously has big-play abilities because of his high-end speed, but in terms of playing time in his rookie season, that's going to be hard to come by with Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III and Kalif Raymond, and tight end Colston Loveland ahead of him on the depth chart. But if Thomas impresses as a gadget player early on, Johnson will surely manufacture more touches for him. For now, Thomas is merely a deep dynasty/keeper stash who will see most of his playing time on special teams
An offseason of both acknowledgment and rising expectations continues for Bears’ TE Colston Loveland. After being featured among the top 10 players at his position earlier this summer, the 2nd year man can now be found alongside a group of both rookies and veterans poised to make an impact on the retail market. This comes via the NFLPA’s annual “Rising Stars List”, which “forecasts [the] next wave of players expected to drive fan demand and merchandise sales.” As mentioned, the list highlights both rookies and veteran players, with Loveland appearing alongside notable veterans such as Las Vegas Raiders TE Brock Bowers , Buffalo Bills RB James Cook, and New England Patriots DB Christian Gonzalez . Unsurprisingly, the rookie side of the list features a number of highly-drafted players in some big markets, such as Las Vegas Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza, Dallas Cowboys S Caleb Downs , and New York Giants LB Arvell Reese. Loveland’s marketability can be debated, but there’s certainly a strong case to be made in his favor. His strong performance on the field, the home market of Chicago, and the charisma he’s displayed both on and off the field likely serve as the foundation of his place on this list. Heck, he’s even going to be featured in the upcoming Bears-centric Hallmark movie ! This list serves as the latest endorsement of Loveland, and those of us with a rooting interest in the Chicago Bears can only hope that his play in the upcoming season is reflective of all of these offseason expectations. You can check out the full NFLPA Rising Stars List here
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Chicago Bears fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. Like many, the first thought I had on this topic was tight end. After all, Colston Loveland seems primed for the Pro Bowl this season, Cole Kmet has a decent chance at breaking the franchise reception record for a tight end this year, and rookie Sam Roush was called the best blocking tight end in the draft. The Bears’ 13 personnel could be deadly in 2026. But then I started thinking about the quarterback room. Sure, if QB1 were to go down, the season would be in jeopardy, and the offense would need to change, but that can be said for just about every other team around the league. I’m also extremely confident that Caleb Williams is going to take another step in 2026. I’m also confident that Tyson Bagent would be able to perform better than most QB2s around the NFL (especially with Ben Johsnon calling the shots). And Case Keenum has 66 starts under his belt, which makes him one of the, if not the most experienced QB3s in the NFL. Sound off in the comment section and vote in this week’s poll! Sign up for a user account and get: Fewer ads Create community posts Comment on articles, community posts Rec comments, community posts New, improved notifications system!
The NFL Players Association released its annual Rising Stars list on Tuesday and the first overall pick of this year’s draft is one of the players at the top. Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza is No. 1 on the list of the 10 rookies that the NFLPA projects to be future members of the Top 50 list of licensed player product sales. There is also a list of 10 players with NFL experience who have not been on the Top 50 and it is topped by Saints quarterback Tyler Shough. Mendoza is followed on the list by Cowboys safety Caleb Downs, Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love, Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate, Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon, Commanders linebacker Sonny Styles, Saints wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, Giants linebacker Arvell Reese, Ravens wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane, and Buccaneers edge rusher Rueben Bain. The list of veteran players also includes Bears tight end Colston Loveland, Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker, Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, Dolphins running back De’Von Achane, Bills running back James Cook, and Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez
Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland is looking to build off a strong rookie campaign. The 22-year-old registered 58 receptions, 713 receiving yards, and six touchdowns in 16 games with the Bears last season. Like many rookies, Loveland was eased into the mix, but it didn't take him long to surpass Cole Kmet on the depth chart. He's now expected to take on a larger workload with D.J. Moore out of the picture and a full season with Caleb Williams already under his belt. Loveland finished as the TE12 and outside the top-100 last season, but the sky is the limit for him. Brock Bowers and Trey McBride are likely going to be selected ahead of him, but Loveland as the TE3 isn't crazy. The departure of Moore should free up more chances for him in 2026. A finish inside the top-50 seems possible if everything goes right for Loveland next season
Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze is set to test his altered left foot in training camp on July 28. He suffered a stress fracture last season but opted against surgery. Despite missing time and the emergence of rookies Burden and Loveland, Odunze was the fantasy WR3 early last season and is ranked WR33, with potential to reclaim the top receiving spot in Chicago's offense
Good morning, Chargers fans! In a recent interview done on the popular Youtube show Bussin’ With The Boys, Bears tight end Colston Loveland admitted that he thought he was going to be drafted by the Chargers and reunited with his college head coach, Jim Harbaugh. In the end, Loveland never made it all that close to the Chargers at No. 22 (he was drafted No. 10) and has since found his role with Chicago as one of the up-and-coming young players at the position in the NFL. Loveland and Justin Herbert sounded like a great match in the pros, but the Bolts eventually found their own young star at tight end in Oronde Gadsden II four rounds later. Seems like it all worked out in the end for both teams. And now for today’s links. Who is the Chargers’ most important newcomer this season? (Chargers.com) Bears tight end Colston Loveland says he expected to be draft by the Chargers (Chargers Wire) What would it take for the Chargers to trade away some of their best players? (Charger Report) The Chargers should take a swing and trade for this cornerback before the season begins (Bolt Beat) These players dropped out entirely of this year’s NFL Top 100 rankings (ESPN) George Pickens will play on his franchise tag during the 2026 season (CBS Sports) These are the biggest remaining roster issues for each AFC team entering training camp (NFL.com) Rookies for the Seahawks begin to report today for training camp (Pro Football Talk) Ranking all of the starting quarterbacks ahead of training camp (Sports Illustrated) These overlooked rookie running backs are players you should keep an eye on (Bleacher Report)
Data comes from cached Sleeper and KTC snapshots. Values update when the sync jobs run.
