Bears HC Ben Johnson addresses unexpected Colston Loveland development

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Bears HC Ben Johnson addresses unexpected Colston Loveland development

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Sep 23, 2026 11:13 PM ET

Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears failed to build on their season-opening performance, losing in Week 2 to the Minnesota Vikings. The head coach addressed the media on Wednesday and addressed an unexpected development on Colston Loveland.

Loveland entered the season with a lot of hype surrounding him. However, he has failed to live up to expectations through the first two games. The second-year tight end did not record a reception against the Carolina Panthers. He finished Sunday’s 9-3 loss with just one catch for three yards. D’Andre Swift led the way for Chicago with five for 54 yards and zero touchdowns.

Things also turned from bad to worse for Johnson and Loveland as Caleb Williams sustained a hamstring injury. The star quarterback will reportedly not practice this week and could miss Monday’s game versus the Philadelphia Eagles.

Chicago Bears: Ben Johnson discusses Colston Loveland’s poor start to the season

Johnson acknowledged that the team has been having challenges finding Loveland open. He also shared how the Bears plan to get the 22-year-old more active.

“We had plenty of opportunities against Carolina,” Williams said. “Just couldn’t quite feed him the way we wanted to. And then I alluded to this last year when we played Minnesota (in) Game 1, that at times going against that defense, they can make it challenging to distribute the ball the way you’d like. You want to make sure you’re sound protection-wise, make sure you’re sound spacing-wise. So I think Week 1 last year when we played Minnesota’s defense, they didn’t get a whole lot of targets.

“Completely different game the second time we played them. The tight ends I think led the charge that week so you just don’t know when you go into some of those games. All of our pass catchers, all of our skilled players, everybody that we’re anticipating (to) be active has plays on that game plan. Some more than others, but we’re actively looking to get everybody involved.”

Ben Johnson on Colston Loveland’s Absence on the Field:

“We had plenty of opportunities against Carolina, we just couldn’t quite feed him the way we wanted to. At times against that defense, they can make it challenging to distribute the ball the way you’d like. You want to… pic.twitter.com/ImWdSVApGO

— Bears on Real (@BearsOnReal) September 23, 2026

Chicago has a chance to get back on track against Jalen Hurts and the Eagles. However, it won’t be easy as Williams is in danger of missing the game. Loveland will have to step up and prove that he can connect with Tyson Bagent consistently.

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

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