Dynasty TE Rankings, 10 Best Tight Ends for Dynasty Fantasy Football
Dynasty TE Rankings, 10 Best Tight Ends for Dynasty Fantasy Football
The Chicago Bears scored 59 points, totaled 552 yards and reached the end zone eight times against the Carolina Panthers.
Colston Loveland did not catch a pass.
It was the oddest part of Chicago’s Week 1 offensive eruption. Caleb Williams produced four touchdowns. D’Andre Swift ran for three scores. Kyle Monangai added 100 rushing yards. Kalif Raymond led the Bears with eight catches.
Meanwhile, Loveland’s stat line stayed empty.
Rob Gronkowski is not treating that as a reason to lower expectations.
Rob Gronkowski3
Feb 12, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, US; Former NFL player Rob Gronkowski looks on before Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
During a recent “Hot Ones” episode, Gronkowski was asked to name a tight end capable of a massive season. His answer was Loveland.
“I’m going to go with Colston Loveland,” Gronkowski said. “He has the skills, he has the attributes. He’s going to be a phenomenal tight end.”
That is high praise from one of football’s most dominant tight ends. It is also not the first time a Patriots legend has seen something special in the Bears’ young weapon.
Tom Brady called Loveland “a little mini Gronk” during Chicago’s January game against the Detroit Lions. Loveland caught 10 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown that day, showing the combination of size, movement and ball skills that makes him difficult to defend.
Nobody should rush to crown Loveland the next Gronkowski. He has two NFL seasons behind him. Gronkowski built a career that will eventually put him in the Hall of Fame. But the back-to-back endorsements are notable, particularly after a Week 1 box score that could otherwise cause some unease.
The better way to evaluate Loveland’s opener is to look at how often and where he played. Loveland took 65 offensive snaps against Carolina, more than any Bears pass catcher. He ran 32 routes, also a team high. Chicago used him 36 times as an in-line tight end, 16 times in the slot, 11 times split wide and twice in the backfield.
That is not a player being ignored.
Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland (84) catches a pass and runs for a go ahead touchdown as Cincinnati Bengals linebac…3
Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland (84) catches a pass and runs for a go ahead touchdown as Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. (44) and Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Josh Newton (28) attempt to stop him in the fourth quarter of the NFL football game between Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Nov. 2, 2025.
Johnson moved Loveland around constantly, forcing the Panthers to account for him in different alignments. The Bears just found more favorable answers elsewhere. Their running game bulldozed Carolina for 291 yards, while Raymond, Cole Kmet and the backs took turns making plays in the passing game. Carolina just wasn’t able to stop anything else.
Loveland still came close to producing. Williams threw behind him on a crossing route that had room to become a major gain. Later, Williams had Loveland available for a possible touchdown but put the throw too far in front.
The quarterback acknowledged that missed chance afterward.
“There was a few passes that I left out there,” Williams said after the game. “There was one that should have been a touchdown to Colston that I missed. Threw it a little bit too far in front of him.”
Make either connection, and Loveland’s afternoon looks entirely different.
Instead, he finished the game with zero catches on two targets. That will naturally attract attention, especially from fantasy managers who drafted him anticipating an expanded second-season role. But the usage tells a far more encouraging story than the final numbers.
Loveland led Chicago with 713 receiving yards last season, totaling 58 catches and six touchdowns. His 1.9 yards per route run ranked fourth among qualifying tight ends. Over the Bears’ final five games, including the playoffs, he averaged 82 receiving yards per game. He has already shown that he can be a featured target, but also plays in an offense loaded with alternatives.
NFL: Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers3
Sep 13, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson looks on from the sideline in the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Odunze, Luther Burden III, Raymond, Kmet, Swift and Monangai can all punish a defense. Some weeks, the coverage will open up a huge opportunity for Loveland. Other weeks, a different Bear will get the largest slice of the workload.
That is the reality of Johnson’s offense. It is built to attack the best matchup, not to manufacture statistics for one player. Loveland appeared comfortable with that after the win.
“That’s how many dawgs we’ve got on this team,” he said. “We’ve got so many weapons and running backs doing their thing. It’s awesome.”
The Bears proved they can overwhelm an opponent without Loveland recording a reception. Gronkowski’s prediction is about what might happen when Chicago does make him the focal point.
After Week 1, that possibility remains very much alive.