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89 Days until Bears 2025 season: Can Colston Loveland beat Mike Ditka's records?

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Pete Martuneac | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 10:12 AM ET

The Chicago Bears may have better players than Mike Ditka, they may even have better coaches who will win more championships, but no one will ever surpass Ditka's legendary status with this franchise. From the aviator sunglasses to the iconic mustache and sweater vest, hundreds of people still dress up like him at Bears games all these decades later.

His status is such that it almost feels blasphemous to ask whether his franchise records are in danger of being broken. Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers already broke Ditka's NFL record for receiving yards by a rookie tight end, but his 1,076 yards and 12 touchdowns still stand as Chicago Bears records. At least, they do for now.

Can the rookie Colston Loveland, selected 10th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, set new franchise-best marks?

At first glance, it seems unlikely but that has more to do with Chicago's current roster than Loveland's personal ability. Ditka's NFL record for receiving yards by a tight end stood for 63 years before Bowers broke it, and he did it by being basically the only reliable passing target on the team. He saw 153 targets in 2024, nearly 10 a game, which is simply absurd for a rookie.

Contrast his situation with Loveland's. The Bears already have their TE1 in Cole Kmet, who has proven to be an effective weapon in the passing game. There's also receivers DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and fellow rookie Luther Burden III. And head coach Ben Johnson will likely keep the run game heavily involved in his gameplans, taking even more opportunity away.

Is it possible? Sure. Loveland has the talent to be a top receiving target for an NFL team, and if he went to a team starving for consistent contributors in the passing game, he might surpass Ditka's 1,076 yards. Not in Chicago, however. The fans' expectations for Loveland's rookie year should be far more modest, in the 400-500 yards range and maybe three or four touchdowns.

Assuming everything else went according to plan, I'd call that a successful debut season for Loveland.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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