Bears TE Colston Loveland has playoff debut for the ages

The Chicago Bears completed one of the biggest postseason comebacks you will ever see when they defeated the Green Bay Packers 31-27 at Soldier Field, advancing to the divisional round of the playoffs. Quarterback Caleb Williams found a spark in the second half to rebound from two interceptions to throw two touchdowns and deserves plenty of credit for rallying his team back from 21-3 at halftime. Another player who stood out above the rest, however, is rookie tight end Colston Loveland, who continues to elevate his play and make a name for himself.

Loveland has become Williams' go-to weapon, as he drew 15 targets, catching eight of them for 137 yards, along with a two-point conversion. He was running routes from all different positions and making plays up the sideline, in the middle of the field, and on quick outs. Those numbers and that production are rarely seen for tight ends in the postseason, even from the best of the best.

According to Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic, Loveland's 137 receiving yards are tied for 10th most all-time among tight ends in a playoff game, along with former Indianapolis Colts great Dallas Clark. He's second among rookies, only behind Keith Jackson. In his debut, Loveland has already produced a better receiving game than players like Travis Kelce (25 games), George Kittle (12 games), Antonio Gates (12 games), Jason Witten (eight games), and Tony Gonzalez (seven games).

Loveland's accolades don't end there, though. He is the first rookie tight end to have at least eight receptions and 100 receiving yards in a playoff game, according to the NFL, and he has the most receiving yards in a playoff game for any tight end under the age of 22.

It's fair to say Loveland has exceeded expectations in Year 1 and then some. Hopes were always high for the No. 10 overall pick out of Michigan, and he shined as the regular season came to a close, totaling 185 yards and two scores over his last two games. Loveland finished his first year with 58 receptions for 713 yards and six touchdowns, but he's saving the best for the playoffs.

Advertisement

Given the fact Williams has targeted Loveland 10+ times over the last three games, he may approach these totals again in the next round of the playoffs. For now, we'll marvel at his playoff debut as he becomes a cornerstone of the Bears franchise going forward.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears TE Colston Loveland has playoff debut for the ages