Earlier today, the Chicago Bears named tight end Colston Loveland, the tenth overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, as their Rookie of the Year.
In any other year, the Bears could have honored wide receiver Luther Burden or running back Kyle Monangai, but this year, it was the dynamic Loveland who took home the award.
Loveland’s 58 receptions and 713 receiving yards led the Bears, and his six touchdown catches tied for the team lead. The last time a rookie tight end led the Bears in catches and yards was
Mike Ditka in 1961.
His 713 receiving yards are the ninth most ever by a Bears tight end in franchise history, and 58 receptions are tied for the eighth most by a tight end.
He had a slow start to the regular season after missing the offseason training activities and minicamps while recovering from shoulder surgery. He also missed Week 4 with a hip injury, but as the season wore on, his all-around skill set started to shine.
His breakout performance came in Week 9 when his 58-yard touchdown reception gave the Bears the lead over the Cincinnati Bengals with just 17 seconds left.
From that game on — 12 games, including the two in the postseason — he had 59 receptions, 790 yards, and 6 TDs.
Check out a few Loveland highlights from 2025.
In case you missed it, the Bears named Caleb Williams as their Offensive Player of the Year, Kevin Byard III as their Defensive Player of the Year, and Cairo Santos as their Special Teams Player of the Year.
