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Colston Loveland sends a warning shot to former Michigan teammate J.J. McCarthy leading up to Week 1 Bears-Vikings matchup

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Kole Noble | Last updated Jun 15, 2025 12:09 PM ET

The Chicago Bears have had quite the impressive offseason heading into the 2025 season and you can see the confidence starting to build inside the organization.

With head coach Ben Johnson in the fold and a plethora of new additions to the roster, the Bears feel like they are headed on the right trajectory and are starting to let people know this isn't the same old Bears.

But, the team can't let the confidence turn to unwarranted cockiness once the season starts. All this talk won't matter if the team can't back it up on the field.

All of that leads us to Week 1, the first game of the Ben Johnson Era when the Bears close out the opening slate of games with a Monday Night Football date against a division rival in the Minnesota Vikings.

The league made sure to make that game a primetime affair given it'll be Johnson's debut as a head coach working with Caleb Williams. On the other sideline, it'll also be the regular season debut for former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy as the unquestioned QB1 in Minnesota.

It's already a game with a lot at stake to open the season, and now we have even more on the line thanks to some recent smack talk.

Bears' first-round draft pick, tight end Colston Loveland, threw a warning shot to his former QB at Michigan while appearing Rich Eisen Show.

"I'd say that's my guy, Michigan man, we got to do some things in college, and he knows I love him," Loveland said. "But we're not on the same team anymore. So all I know is, Monday Night, we're going to be prepared, we're going to be fired up, ready to go out there and... good luck."

Loveland and McCarthy shared the field together for two seasons at Michigan and formed quite the tandem in the passing game. In 2023, that connection helped Michigan win a National Championship over Washington.

Since then, McCarthy has been generating a lot of headlines going into his first season as the Vikings' starter based on what he's been showing during OTAs and minicamp.

As for Loveland, we've yet to see Chicago's Michigan-man in action. Loveland underwent shoulder surgery back in February and is still looking to get cleared for participation in practice, which should likely come during training camp in late July.

Despite not fully being out there and missing a lot in the process, Loveland has still been able to do the best with what he can do.

"What I can gather, from the walkthroughs, from the meetings, is he’s very professional, he takes everything seriously," Johnson said. "I think he’s going to fit in really well once we start getting him to go full speed."

Loveland is expected to have a major role in Chicago's offense playing alongside veteran tight end Cole Kmet in a system that will favor 2-TE sets.

Getting back on the field ASAP and building a connection with his new quarterback and the rest of the offense has to be the top priority before looking ahead to Week 1.

"Just taking it each day at a time, just keep my feet where they are," Loveland told reporters last week. "Attacking each thing, where that’s a meeting, working out. I feel like the camaraderie and the relationships with the guys and the whole team, staff as a whole, has been really good. It’s been good to connect and just build those relationships. We’re all in the same mindset. We’re all headed to one goal."

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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