The Chicago Bears drafting tight end Colston Loveland in the first-round seemed to be one of the best fits of the entire opening night in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Loveland embodies everything the Bears are looking to add in the locker room in terms of character, versatility, and athleticism.
Multiple teams were eager to land this guy in the first-round but one of the main deterrents was a slight medical issue stemming from a shoulder injury in 2024 that eventually led to his AC joint being medically repaired back in February.
Overall, the concerns weren't anything major and something the Bears were comfortable overlooking in the scouting process. After arriving to Chicago on Friday, Loveland took the chance to relieve some of the concerns regarding his recovery.
"It's six months, was the timetable, we're three out right now," Loveland explained. "It feels great. I've got full range of motion and everything. I can do really everything but super heavy weight so right now we're in a good spot."
Loveland added he was "frustrated" having to have the surgery at the end of the season with the draft coming up but believes it was all able to work out in the end, still landing within the Top-10 selections.
During the 2024 season, Loveland's production remained consistent to his 2024 season playing with quarterback J.J. McCarthy on the National Championship offense, which speak volumes consider how the injury affected him.
"I remember, it was like Week 3 I think, I sat out the next week. Every time I landed on it or catched the ball or blocked someone it hurt," Loveland said. "But after a couple weeks it got better and then found out I had to get [surgery]."
To put it in context how little the injury is limiting him at this point in the recovery process, Loveland joked that he was helping brand cattle on his family farm two days before the draft but noted it wasn't anything too crazy and he was careful.
So, rest easy Bears fans. The injury isn't much of a concern heading into the offseason. Loveland will still miss at bit of time in the summer but once he's fully cleared he'll be ready to get rolling with the rest of the offense.
