Ben Johnson reveals plan for Chicago Bears first-round pick Colston Loveland

“A priority for us is getting him back healthy because the sooner he gets healthy, then we get the full-speed reps and that’s where it really all comes together,” Johnson said from Halas Hall. “It’s more mental and we’re going to take full opportunity with the time we have with him, call it six weeks in terms of getting him up to speed with not only what the veterans know mentally but how much can we walk through with him on the side to speed up the learning process.”

While it's certainly a bummer that Loveland can't showcase the mismatch skill set that made him the top tight end in the 2025 NFL Draft, the reality is that the mental learning curve is often the most difficult part of the transition from college to the pros. Loveland is getting those reps, even if they don't produce fun social media highlights.

“I’m working out; I’m running,” Loveland said. “I’m doing everything except like the weight is not as heavy, obviously. We’re taking that day by day. Stacking bricks and getting better.”