To start things off, 2024 didn’t exactly go the way Caleb Williams—or anyone in Chi-Town—thought it would. Heralded as the savior of the Windy City, the Bears’ No. 1 overall pick was thrown into chaos. He held on to the ball too long, sure—but when your O-line is practically a turnstile and injuries keep reshuffling bodies, survival becomes the game. Williams took a league-high 68 sacks, and things got so bad that the Bears canned both offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and head coach Matt Eberflus during a brutal 10-game losing streak. That’s not exactly a dream rookie year.

Still, the numbers weren’t all doom and gloom. Williams logged 3,541 passing yards with 20 touchdowns to just six interceptions. Pretty solid, right? Yet, when stacked next to his rookie peers—Bo Nix lighting it up in Denver or Jayden Daniels‘ historic season in Washington—Caleb’s progression felt sluggish. But the Monsters of the Midway didn’t just sit and watch. They brought in Ben Johnson as head coach, made aggressive moves in both free agency and the trade market, and added depth with an eight-man draft haul. Now, the tide finally feels like it’s turning.

Interestingly, one of the standout rookies from that group, Colston Loveland, is already making headlines before even stepping into training camp. When asked by Kay Adams which NFL tight end he models his game after, Loveland dropped a name from across the NFC North. “I watch a lot of [Sam] LaPorta tape,” he said. That’s right—he’s studying tape of the Detroit Lions‘ breakout tight end. Pretty bold choice, but it says a lot about the kind of impact he wants to make.

LaPorta was a force in 2023—racking up 86 catches for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns, the most ever by a rookie TE. Sure, his production dipped a bit last year to 60 catches, 726 yards, and seven scores, but Detroit’s offense was absolutely stacked. LaPorta still grew in other areas, especially as a blocker, something he takes real pride in.

Making things even better, Loveland’s already syncing up with Caleb Williams. “It’s been good. He’s super cool… I‘m excited. I’m excited to get out there and kind of get things rolling.” From day 1, their chemistry’s been on point—and now with training camp around the corner, everyone is hyped up.

Caleb & Colston’s bond already buzzing in the Windy City

The Bears didn’t just draft Colston Loveland for size and stats—they drafted him to be Caleb Williams’ go-to guy. At 6’6” and 248 pounds, Loveland showed out at Michigan, helping the Wolverines win a national title and earning a rep as one of college football’s most polished tight ends in years. Now, in the Windy City under new head coach Ben Johnson, the plan is simple: turn this rookie connection into the league’s next great duo.

Meanwhile, Loveland is still settling in as OTAs get rolling. He hasn’t hit the field with Williams yet, but he’s already soaking up the spotlight off it. On Up & Adams, he told Kay Adams that Caleb’s been all business since day one—breaking down the playbook, calling guys in for walkthroughs, and leading by example. “He just does everything the right way,” Loveland said with a grin. That’s the kind of vibe you want between a QB and his tight end.

In fact, that chemistry sparked the minute draft night ended. Caleb called Loveland right after his name was announced—congratulating him but also laying down expectations. He told Colston he’d be hard on him, same with Coach Johnson, but it was all about unlocking greatness.

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Now, Loveland’s just ready to get to work. He’s been a fan of Caleb since college—“He’s that man,” he said—and sees this as the perfect setup. With Johnson’s tight-end-friendly playbook and two young stars ready to grow together, Soldier Field might finally have a duo worth believing in.