en-us SportSpyder - The Latest Chicago Bears News https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/news The Chicago Bears and NFL revealed on Monday the start dates for the team’s 2026 training camp in Lake Forest, IL. Bears rookies will officially report for camp on July 25, with veterans reporting three days later on July 28. There has not yet been any information released in regards to which practices will be […] Mon, 22 Jun 2026 19:37:49 GMT Ryan Droste https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57028430 https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57028430 false false Forget the offseason awards and national media hype. Caleb Williams won’t enter the MVP conversation unless the Chicago Bears keep winning football games. 🐻... Mon, 22 Jun 2026 19:22:39 GMT Chicago Bears Central https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57028238 https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57028238 false false All right, no more setbacks. The Chicago Cubs have been one of the unluckiest teams when it comes to pitching injuries in MLB this season, and that includes Justin Steele suffering a setback back in April. The left-handed starter had elbow surgery in April 2025 and was hopeful of returning by early June, but a […] Mon, 22 Jun 2026 19:22:04 GMT Aldo Soto https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57028231 https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57028231 false false Of all the rookies the Bears trotted out in 2025 (and there were a lot of productive ones), Colston Loveland might have been the best of the bunch. The first draft pick of the Ben Johnson era didn’t just contribute as a rookie tight end; he led an NFC North champion in receiving. Now the question for 2026 isn’t whether he belongs. It’s how high the ceiling goes. ESPN’s Mike Clay , and his projection reflects a player the Bears are ready to feature. Katie Stratman-Imagn Images Colston Loveland Is Built to Be a Star — The 2026 Projections Are Just the Beginning Loveland’s rookie season was a slow burn that turned into a bonfire. Over his first six games, Loveland had just 11 catches for 116 yards and no touchdowns, a quiet start that had some wondering when the No. 10 overall pick would arrive. Then Week 9 in Cincinnati happened. Six catches, 118 yards, and two touchdowns — with 17 seconds left to flip a 42-41 deficit into a 47-42 win. From that point on, Loveland was one of quarterback Caleb Williams’ most trusted targets. He finished with 58 catches for 713 yards and six touchdowns, leading the Bears in all three categories, making him the first rookie to lead Chicago in receiving yards since Willie Gault in 1983, and the first rookie tight end to do it since Hall of Famer Mike Ditka in 1961. That’s not a comp you throw around lightly. Pro Football Focus backed it up, grading Loveland as the highest-graded rookie in all of football and the second-highest-graded tight end, period. Oh, and the playoffs only amplified it. He piled up 193 receiving yards across two postseason games, the most ever by a rookie tight end, headlined by an eight-catch, 137-yard explosion against the Packers in the wild-card round. Colston Loveland: 2025 vs 2026 Projection Colston Loveland · Rookie Year vs. 2026 Projection Season G Tgt Rec Yds TD Y/R 2025 (Rookie) 16 82 58 713 6 12.3 2026 Proj. 118 80 898 6 11.2 2025 via Pro Football Reference · 2026 projection: Mike Clay, ESPN Clay’s projection has Loveland building on that with 80 catches for 898 yards and six touchdowns on 118 targets, a target total that would tie him with Rome Odunze for the team lead, and a reception number that would crack 80 grabs in just his second season. The yardage tops his rookie figure despite a lower yards-per-catch, which makes sense given the projected jump in volume and a likely uptick in the short-to-intermediate work that comes with being a featured tight end. Here is some context that makes that projection feel conservative, if anything. With DJ Moore traded to Buffalo and Olamide Zaccheaus gone in free agency, there’s a pile of vacated targets, and Loveland’s late-season usage suggests he’s first in line for a chunk of it. Over his final four games (two regular season, two playoff), Johnson fully unleashed him: 12.0 targets, 7.0 catches, and 94.5 yards per game across that stretch. Stretch that kind of usage over a full season, and you’re not talking about an 898-yard tight end. You’re talking about a 1,000-plus-yard centerpiece in the Brock Bowers and Trey McBride tier. Bears tight end Colston Loveland. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images The pieces are all there. A year of experience in the same system, which Loveland has specifically pointed to as a head start. A quarterback who trusts him in the biggest moments. A play-caller in Johnson who has called him a complete tight end capable of wearing every hat, and who has talked openly about taking his route tree to the next level. And the kind of competitive edge that had him that a good rookie year “is not going to be good enough for a second- or third-year guy.” If there’s a risk, it’s simply that target competition, Odunze, Burden, and a healthy receiver room all want the ball. Plus, the addition of rookie Sam Roush could nibble at snaps. But Loveland has separated himself as the player Williams looks for when it matters, and that trust tends to win out over the course of a 17-game season. Clay’s projection is strong. I think it might still be underselling where this is headed. Mon, 22 Jun 2026 18:52:57 GMT Patrick K. Flowers https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57027896 https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57027896 false false While the Chicago Bears traded away wide receiver DJ Moore, they still have plenty of firepower to work with in the passing department. They added even more ammunition when they selected fellow receiver Zavion Thomas in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Head coach Ben Johnson clearly had an affinity for Thomas when […] The post appeared first on . Mon, 22 Jun 2026 18:47:37 GMT Dan Fappiano https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57027830 https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57027830 false false The NFL has confirmed when Chicago Bears rookies and veterans will report to training camp, and when the Bears will hold their two joint practices. Mon, 22 Jun 2026 18:43:59 GMT Mike Moraitis https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57027788 https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57027788 false false Chicago Bears fan favorite tight end Cole Kmet has been a popular topic this offseason. With the emergence of first-round pick Colston Loveland last season and the team's decision to draft Sam Roush in the third round, in many ways, Kmet could find himself on the outside looking in by season's end. The post appeared first on . Mon, 22 Jun 2026 18:42:20 GMT Justin Platt https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57027772 https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57027772 false false ESPN's Mike Clay shared his 2026 stat projections for the Chicago Bears' offense, including Montez Sweat, Jaylon Johnson and Coby Bryant. Mon, 22 Jun 2026 18:33:44 GMT Alyssa Barbieri https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57027662 https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57027662 false false The 2026 season will mark Ryan Poles’ fifth season as general manager of the Chicago Bears. Things are trending in the right direction for his regime, seeing as though the Bears won the NFC North last year and won their first playoff game since the 2010-11 season. There’s been a lot of good to come […] Mon, 22 Jun 2026 18:05:55 GMT Jacob Infante https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57027306 https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57027306 false false Adam Hoge is back and reveals his highly-anticipated roster pyramid on today’s show! Has Caleb Williams ascended to a blue tier player? Is Joe Thuney the hig... Mon, 22 Jun 2026 17:57:45 GMT CHGO Sports https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57027223 https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57027223 false false After deciding to return to the New Orleans Saints for one more year, the latest news makes the Chicago Bears losing out on him much worse. Mon, 22 Jun 2026 17:26:10 GMT Anthony Miller https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57026837 https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57026837 false false The Chicago Bears will hit the road for both of their joint practice sessions during the preseason. Earlier in the offseason, it was announced that joint practices with the Bears before the two teams played in their exhibition season game on Aug. 22. And now, we have news () that the Tennessee Titans will have the Bears for a practice session before the two squads square off on Aug. 29. The Bears-Bengals joint sesh will take place on Aug. 20, while the Titans will have theirs on Aug. 27. Bears QB Caleb Williams (18) runs on the field during Minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Bears-Titans Will Have Joint Practice Sessions in August When the Bears practice with the Titans, those sessions will feature the first overall picks in the 2024 and 2025 NFL Drafts. Chicago chose USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. One year later, Tennessee took Miami quarterback Cam Ward. Perhaps Williams will have some words of wisdom for a fellow Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who took his share of lumps as a rookie. I don’t think it is a coincidence that we have seen an uptick in joint practice sessions around the NFL just as the league has started trimming preseason games. Sure, I like the exhibition slate because it provides a relaxed atmosphere to watch what amounts to a high-end audition or tryout for players on the roster bubble that is masquerading as a football game. But I have also grown to enjoy joint practice sessions. Watching how other teams practice tends to put some things into perspective. For instance, the Miami Dolphins practiced with the Bears last year — and hated it. The two teams , which led Dolphins center Aaron Brewer , by calling it “fake” physicality. After those practice sessions came to a close, the Bears and Dolphins were two teams on very different trajectories. Chicago would go on to win 11 games, take the NFC North Crown, and win its first playoff game since January 2011. Meanwhile, Miami went south, bottomed out, fired its head coach, and cleaned house. With that in mind, perhaps we shouldn’t take practice sessions so lightly when they come around. CHECK OUT OUR PODCAST: | | Mon, 22 Jun 2026 17:25:18 GMT Luis C. Medina https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57026825 https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57026825 false false The NBA draft is 24 hours away. All preparations have been made by the Chicago Bulls. VP of Basketball Operations Bryson Graham has assembled his front office, found his head coach, and conducted the necessary research and phone calls to gauge how the 1st round will likely unfold. One thing we’ve learned is that the […] Mon, 22 Jun 2026 17:24:25 GMT Erik Lambert https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57026810 https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57026810 false false Both joint practices are on the road, but open to the public ahead of preseason games against those teams. Mon, 22 Jun 2026 17:02:37 GMT Jason Lieser https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57026503 https://sportspyder.com/nfl/chicago-bears/articles/57026503 false false