Where has Colston Loveland been ahead of Bears game today?
Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland has one catch for 3 yards on five targets through two games, despite high snap counts and draft hype as a top fantasy TE. Double coverage, max-protection duties and missed connections explain the drought ahead of the Bears game today against the Philadelphia Eagles on ABC/ESPN (8:15 p.m. ET).
The former No. 10 overall pick led Chicago with 713 receiving yards and 58 catches as a rookie and was the No. 3 tight end drafted in fantasy this year, behind only Trey McBride and Brock Bowers. Yet ESPN reports he is started in just 48% of leagues heading into Monday night. For more where-to-watch alerts, see our Streaming & TV Alerts hub.
Key Takeaways
- Loveland has one reception for 3 yards on five targets through Weeks 1 and 2.
- He has played 86.6% of offensive snaps but faces the NFL’s highest double-coverage rate (7% of routes).
- Caleb Williams is inactive with a hamstring strain; Case Keenum starts Monday vs. Philadelphia.
- The Eagles have allowed only six TE receptions and 42 TE yards through two games.
- Coaches say Loveland is built into the plan; the two-week sample looks more like happenstance than a crisis.
Why hasn’t Colston Loveland produced more this season?
Opportunity and usage tell different stories. Loveland has been on the field for 86.6% of the Bears’ offensive snaps through two games—the highest share of any skill player not named Caleb Williams—yet the ball has rarely found him.
Against Carolina in Week 1, coach Ben Johnson said Chicago “had plenty of opportunities” but “couldn’t quite feed them the way we wanted to.” The Athletic notes Williams threw behind an open Loveland up the seam and also misfired on an end-zone look. Against Minnesota, Williams faced a blitz on 78% of dropbacks on a rainy afternoon, and tight ends were often asked to max protect.
Defenses are also clamping down. Per NFL Next Gen Stats cited by ESPN, Loveland has faced double coverage on 7% of his routes—the highest rate in the league among players with at least 40 routes. His average separation on targets has fallen from 3.7 yards in 2025 to 2.1 this season.
“I’m just doing what I’m asked,” Loveland said. “There’s going to be opportunities, so I’ve just got to take full advantage when it arises.”
Will Loveland get more looks in the Bears game today?
Monday’s matchup is a tough spot. Philadelphia has allowed the third-fewest receptions (six) and second-fewest receiving yards (42) to tight ends, and is tied for the third-fewest TE targets (nine) after beating Washington and Tennessee.
Williams will be inactive with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, so Case Keenum starts. Keenum connected with Loveland for his first training-camp touchdown, but fantasy managers should temper expectations against a stingy Eagles front seven. Still, Johnson and offensive coordinator Press Taylor insist Loveland is often the primary receiver in the game plan—“the ball just has yet to find him,” as ESPN put it.
Eagles linebacker Chance Campbell called covering Loveland “a bit of a chess match,” recalling how the Michigan product took off late last season with 597 receiving yards over his final 10 games.
Should fantasy managers still start Loveland?
Sports Illustrated’s Week 2 target report listed Loveland at three targets and an 8.9% target share, labeling the panic meter medium-to-high while advising managers to keep starting him only if better options are scarce. Treating him as a set-and-forget TE1 right now, SI warned, is a “dangerous gamble.”
The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain is less alarmed after two weeks: Loveland leads the Bears with 63 routes run, dominated camp, and historically started slowly as a rookie before exploding in Week 8. “The two-week sample size seems more happenstance than major concern,” Fishbain wrote—though if production still lags routes after a month or two, defenses taking him away would deserve a closer look.
Bottom line for viewers tuning into the Bears game today: Loveland has not disappeared from the field—only from the box score. Whether Keenum can unlock him against Philadelphia’s tight-end defense is the subplot worth watching on ABC and ESPN.