Let’s hope this Colston Loveland prediction comes true for the Bears this Sunday

Posted by Admin September 19, 2026 NFL

After watching second-year Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland emerge as one of the league’s best last season, it was pretty jarring to see him finish the team’s season opener with zero catches for zero yards.

Logically, there could be a number of reasons for this: the Bears dominating on the ground so much that getting him the ball wasn’t a priority, Caleb Williams just missing him sometimes in the progression, and Carolina working hard to take him away as a receiving option.

And of course, let’s not forget Loveland also started off slow last season before coming on extremely strong to close the year.

That said, it would be extremely welcome if Loveland got back on track against a Minnesota Vikings defense that will need its tight ends to serve as outlets against defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ aggressive defense.

That’s what NFL.com’s Gennaro Filice is predicting could happen on Sunday when the Bears face off against the Vikings.

“Despite Chicago racking up 59 points and 552 yards at Carolina, Loveland somehow finished the game without a single catch. It was a bizarre disappearing act, especially considering the tight end comfortably paced Bears pass catchers in snaps (60) and routes run (33). I think the pendulum emphatically swings back in Loveland’s favor this Sunday against the division-rival Vikings. With Brian Flores blitzing his face off, Minnesota’s defense puts serious stress on opposing offenses. However, the aggressive approach leaves the Vikes vulnerable to chunk gains, as evidenced last Sunday by Jordan Love‘s 387 passing yards, including eight explosive plays (20-plus yards). Facing pressure from all angles, Caleb Williams will seek an easy outlet. Insert the 6-foot-6, 241-pound mismatch nightmare in the No. 84 jersey. One

Say no more.

Now, it’s worth noting that Flores and the Vikings defense probably wouldn’t make this easy.

Loveland has only put up 52 yards on five catches in two games against Minnesota last year, though this was before he had truly come into his own. The young tight end is a different player than he was then. But that’s all the more reason for the Vikings to specifically try to take him out of the game and force other players, like Luther Burden III and Cole Kmet, to beat them. So the idea of him putting up massive yards still seems unlikely.

But touchdowns in the red zone? That’s an area the Bears could be more intentional about getting Loveland the football, which could get him going in a bigger way on Sunday. Especially with a possible backup quarterback playing for the Vikings on Sunday in Carson Wentz, the Bears need to hit Minnesota where it hurts early and often. And we already know there are few players on any defense who can lock Loveland up when it’s time to hit paydirt.

My bold prediction: Loveland gets his first touchdown this weekend. If he goes even bigger than that? It’s just icing on the cake.