How Ben Johnson adjusts Bears play calling to injury at tight end

The reason Johnson shouldn't have much problem adjusting is even though he utilized multiple tight end sets in Detroit, he didn't have two prominent targets like Cole Kmet and Loveland while he was calling plays there. The Lions flourished with Brock Wright as his second tight end behind Sam LaPorta or T.J. Hockenson before LaPorta came into the league. Wright had 43 receptions for 407 yards under Johnson in Detroit.

The Bears would go either to Durham Smythe or Carlson as a second target. The biggest loss for the Bears is just how it slows the early development of their top pick even more.

Smythe can be a receiving target, as 132 catches in eight seasons with three touchdowns says. So far this year Smythe's role has been blocking. He has been involved on 36 offensive plays as a third tight end or as a replacement for one of the other two tight ends, and is graded the fifth-best run blocker among Bears at any position who threw at least 20 blocks, one spot behind Kmet.

Carlson has been with the Bears practice squad since 2023 but hasn't caught a pass in a game yet. He did catch 12 passes for 123 yards in three preseasons in Chicago.

With a bye week after this game and more than two weeks to heal before the Bears face Washington in a Monday Night Football rematch of the "Fail Mary" game, it's plenty of time for recovery for Loveland and make little sense to rush him back onto the field if he's not 100% even if it slows the already slow progress he's been making as a rookie.

The bye should help several injured Bears restart their seasons, including linebacker T.J. Edwards.

“I've said all along this (Week 5 bye) is a good thing for us," Johnson said before the team went to Vegas. "We're going to be in good shape. You look at it where we're at injury wise too, I think it's going to be a good opportunity for a few guys to get healthy again and get some reinforcements back."