The Chicago Bears made the surprising move to select tight end Colston Loveland with the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL Draft back in April.
Many people had Tyler Warren, who now plays for the Indianapolis Colts, as the top tight end on their draft board, so the pick came as a shock.
Loveland looked great in training camp and the preseason however, seemingly dispelling any notion that the Bears made the wrong pick.
The Michigan product has struggled to produce in the regular season though, with just three catches for 43 yards in three games.
Even more concerning is that Loveland injured his hip last week against the Dallas Cowboys and now will be out for Week 4.
In light of this news, the Bears made the decision to elevate practice squad tight end Stephen Carlson, who will likely serve as a depth piece in the event of another injury.
Bears TE Colston Loveland is not expected to play Sunday vs. the Raiders due to his hip injury, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 27, 2025
Bears elevated tight end Stephen Carlson from their practice squad for Sunday’s game at Las Vegas.
Carlson has just six catches for 62 yards in his career, so if he does see the field against the Las Vegas Raiders, it will likely only be in a blocking situation.
After all, the Bears have more than enough receiving options in wide receivers DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, as well as tight end Cole Kmet.
Quarterback Caleb Williams will still have an abundance of targets to throw to, but it’s disheartening for Chicago to lose Loveland now after the offense finally clicked against Dallas.
The rookie tight end hasn’t posted the stats he would have hoped for so far, but he currently serves as a dangerous threat to the middle of the field that keeps defenses honest.
There is hope that Loveland won’t be sidelined with his injury for very long, but the Bears’ job just got a little bit tougher. They will be shorthanded today, but they should still have enough juice on offense to pull out a victory in Las Vegas.
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