Colston Loveland just missed first TD of 2026

Loveland popped on the injury report Friday after being limited with a neck injury. A full session Saturday cleared his path to play against the Seahawks on Monday Night Football, where he’ll likely be leaned on to move the football against the suffocating Seattle defense.

It was an injury report addition, which is never a great sign. We don’t have a lot of smoke on this one yet, though we imagine Ben Johnson will get some questions about it on Saturday. The MNF timing could make this a tricky fantasy lineup decision if Loveland is questionable; the only reasonable pivots would be AJ Barner or — maybe — Sam Roush.

Loveland found himself dancing in the end zone for the second consecutive week when he muscled his way in for a score from 12 yards out in the third quarter. The team-leading 12 targets also came on only 33 Caleb Williams pass attempts, with no other player on the team recording more than five targets to their ledger. Furthermore, backup tight end Cole Kmet departed in the fourth quarter with an apparently serious knee injury as he had to be carted off the field, potentially setting Loveland up for more consistent volume moving forward. Loveland finally appears to be making good on his lofty draft capital from the summer after returning fantasy TE1 weeks in two straight games, something managers hope will continue in another difficult matchup on paper against the Seahawks on Monday Night Football in Week 8.

It was Loveland’s first score of the 2026 season, and it came with Caleb Williams back under center for Chicago after three weeks on the sideline with a hamstring injury. Loveland couldn’t quite come down with a second touchdown grab in the second half on a poorly thrown green zone pass from Williams. Loveland was second on the team in targets behind Luther Burden III, who had eight looks from Williams on the day. A relative lack of pass volume in the Bears offense could limit Loveland’s overall opportunity, though a concerted effort to get the tight end involved in the red zone could make him a 12-team league option going forward. Loveland gets the Patriots in Week 7.

Everyone’s favorite breakout tight end is now sitting on an unseemly 110 yards receiving through five games played. It’s an inconceivable outcome after Loveland’s stretch-run and postseason dominance last season, but now very much a trend. Loveland’s “rates,” while good, just haven’t been good enough, and he is not compensating with the off-the-charts efficiency he would need to produce on that kind of usage, a la a Dalton Kincaid-type. It’s hard to throw in the TE1 towel since Loveland has only finished one game alongside QB Caleb Williams, but Williams’ likely Week 6 return against the Falcons could be something of a “last stand.” If Loveland can’t get it going with Williams back in the lineup, we might have to accept Loveland’s TE2 fate.

Loveland led the Chicago offense in targets and was third — behind Rome Odunze and Luther Burden — in receiving yards with Tyson Bagent under center. Bagent found Loveland on a couple pinpoint middle-of-the-field throws in the first half before the Bears turned hard toward the run in the second half. Loveland now has ten receptions over his past two games after a miserable start to the year. You probably won’t find a better waiver wire tight end in Week 5, when Loveland takes on the Packers.

This would qualify as Loveland “heating up” after his Week 1 doughnut against the Panthers, which also came on three targets. Alibis abounded this afternoon, as rainy conditions and a blitzing Brian Flores defense frazzled Caleb Williams before he departed late with a hamstring injury, but there’s no real way to sugarcoat one catch for three yards through two games. That’s especially true since one game was a Bears romp and the other a three-point disaster. We assume coach Ben Johnson will make it a point of emphasis to get Loveland going in Week 3 against the Eagles, but: 1. We were hoping Loveland’s production would take care of itself, and: 2. It will likely be Tyson Bagent under center vs. Philly. We are not going to drop Loveland out of the top 12 in fantasy, but a third straight no-show would make it difficult to soldier on in the TE1 ranks.

The Bears broke scoring records in their Week 1 demolition of the Panthers but Loveland — leading the team in pass routes — was largely invisible. Caleb Williams missed a wide open Loveland in the middle of the field in the second half and nearly connected with his second-year tight end in the end zone. Cole Kmet, meanwhile, ran about half of the Bears’ routes and turned three targets into two catches for 35 yards and a score. Loveland is almost certain to bounce back in Week 2 against the Vikings.

This wouldn’t be news under normal circumstances but takes on additional meaning with Rome Odunze listed questionable for Week 1. It is of particular note that the Bears already have five wide receivers on the active roster and still chose to elevate another. While recent reports seemed to indicate a sense of optimism regarding Odunze’s potential availability, he could be on the wrong side of questionable given the recent transaction. Fantasy managers will want to confirm his status when the team releases its inactives 90 minutes prior to first kick. Luther Burden and Colston Loveland would be in line to benefit greatly should Odunze be unable to go.

Per Hammond, Odunze “came up hobbling during an install period at the start of practice,” with what appeared to be a right leg injury. Apparently, Odunze “wasn’t overly concerned” and tried to continue practicing, but Bears trainers removed him from the field. That last bit is encouraging. Hopefully, Odunze’s Week 1 availability has not been jeopardized. Bears TE Colston Loveland and WR Luther Burden would benefit if Odunze cannot play. Odunze is backed up by WR Kalif Raymond.