Tight end Colston Loveland eager to bring "Idaho tough" to Chicago Bears' offense
Tight end Colston Loveland has saddled up in his new home. The Chicago Bears' new tight end made his way from Idaho to Lake Forest on Friday, after the Bears picked him at No. 10 overall in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday.
Loveland said it's about a 40-minute drive from his home in the small town of Gooding, Idaho to the nearest airport in Twin Falls.
At his introductory press conference, he demonstrated how to brand cows, sharing stories about his days in the rodeo as a kid, and explaining why there were elk heads and cow hides in the background of his draft party in Idaho.
Now he's ready to make big plays in the big city on an NFL stage, and sharing stories about how that Idaho upbringing shaped him as a person and a football player.
Loveland was all smiles as he held up a Bears jersey with some of his family at Halas Hall.
He said even he was a little surprised when the Bears called him at his draft party at his aunt and uncle's home in Idaho. Even so, someone at his draft party already had a Loveland Bears jersey.
"That was crazy, right? That was crazy, yeah. Longtime friend, I heard he had an 18 Loveland Bears jersey. I was like, 'no way.' He's been saying it for the last four years, like, 'You're going to go to my Bears.' So that was actually really cool," Loveland said.
Loveland spent the days before the draft back home, even branding cows on the farm just two days ago.
Now, he's in Chicago ready to bring Idaho tough to the NFL.
"Where I'm from, really Idaho as a whole is just like all everyone does there is just work, and seeing how my parents grew up, and they just worked their butts off, everyone in the community, very blue collar. I think it's just a different lifestyle out there, and I'd say that's what Idaho tough is. Growing up that way, it's different. I wouldn't say a lot of people are built for it. I think it's a blessing to come from there. I've learned a lot of lessons, and it's going to take me a long ways."
This small-town kid, who describes himself as "pretty personable," isn't worried about the transition to Chicago, especially after playing on some pretty big stages in three seasons at Michigan.
"It was pretty easy. I feel like, you know, it's just football. I've been doing this for a long time. There might be a little more people in the stands, but just keep the main thing the main thing," Loveland said.
As for his shoulder, he said he's in a "good spot" after having surgery in late January. The recovery timetable is about six months, which would line up with the start of training camp in late July, and Loveland said he expects to be 100% by training camp.
He said he just can't lift super heavy weights right now, but branding cows is fine.
When healthy, the former Michigan star is a dynamic playmaker who the Bears say they're excited to pair with veteran tight end Cole Kmet.
Loveland proved himself a beast as a Michigan Wolverine. He had 45 catches and 649 yards with four touchdowns in his sophomore year as the Wolverines won the national championship. He followed that up with 56 catches for 582 yards and five touchdowns in his junior year in 2024. He leaves Michigan as their all-time single-season leader at tight end in receptions.
While Loveland's average yards per catch dipped a bit in 2024 without JJ McCarthy at quarterback, he felt like he still improved.
"I think this last year, I took a big step, and that was just, I was saying out there, just the little details that create way more separation," he said. "I watched a lot of Nico Collins. Obviously, he's a receiver, bigger body though, and I think I could take a lot of tools from his bag. So stuff like that. Sam LaPorta, I was also a big fan of watching him. Similar guys that kind of move the same as me, like Evan Engram even. So I think just kind of watching that tape, and then like I said, with the details, I think that has definitely helped my route running. I've still got a lot to improve on, though, for sure."
Loveland was not the only one surprised the Bears drafted him at No. 10. Most draft ratings had Penn State's Tyler Warren ranked as the top tight end in the draft, and many were projecting the Bears to take him.
There also were reports and speculation that the Bears would potentially trade up in the first round to grab Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who ended up going No. 6 overall to the Raiders.
General manager Ryan Poles confirmed that all the talk of the Bears going to get Jeanty was exaggerated.
"When we made those calls up, it just took you out, because I think – I briefly mentioned this Tuesday – there's a run coming up here that I think you can make a pretty big impact on your football team, so to give up that for one person, giving up two for one – it probably would have been even more than that – it just didn't make sense," he said.
