Bears TE Colston Loveland: 'A whole lot really hasn’t changed yet' in how teams cover me

As Bears rookie tight end Colston Loveland emerged as a go-to target for quarterback Caleb Williams, the rest of the NFL hasn’t quite caught up to that trend. Loveland caught 31 passes for 415 yards over the last five games, including the wild-card win over the Packers, but hasn’t seen much difference in coverage.

“They’re definitely showing a little bit more attention, but a whole lot really hasn’t changed yet,” he said Thursday. “We’ll see.”

Indeed. As the Rams visit Soldier Field on Sunday for a divisional-round playoff game, they’re surely aware that Williams has thrown to Loveland 38 times over the last three games — well ahead of Luther Burden at 20 and DJ Moore at 14.

The Rams allowed 92 catches by tight ends in the regular season (15th in the NFL) and 775 yards (seventh).

Loveland, the No. 10 overall pick last year, finished the regular season with a team-high 58 catches for 713 yards and six touchdowns. The reception total was a franchise record for a rookie, and his yards and touchdowns were second to Mike Ditka’s 1961 season.

League-wide, Loveland finished 13th at his position in catches, ninth in yards and eighth in touchdowns. His impressive rookie season drew comparisons to other elite tight ends early in their career, and Tom Brady likened him to future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkow-ski during the broadcast of the Week 18 game against the Lions.

“It’s cool, but I’ve got a long ways to go, so I don’t think too much of it,” he said. “I’ve still got to prove a lot. I haven’t done that much, really, when you look at it.”