Colston Loveland and 6 Other Bears that Need a Bounce Back Week 3 vs Eagles

The Chicago Bears badly need a bounce back win in Week 3 after their ugly Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, but it'll be tough sledding on Monday Night Football against the 2-0 Philadelphia Eagles. The odds are stacked against them, especially with Case Keenum starting in place of Tyson Bagent (who would have been starting in place of the injured Caleb Williams).

To pull off this win, the Bears are going to need to be much better as a team than they were a week ago, but they'll also need certain individuals in particular to show up in a big way. These Bears have either not shown up at all so far this season, or they suffered a setback in Week 2. Either way, these seven names better bring their A-game to Soldier Field tonight, starting with the former No. 10 overall pick.

1. Colston Loveland

The confusing disappearance of Colston Loveland cannot continue any longer if the Bears have any hope of being a serious playoff contender. Despite a strong finish to his rookie season, the second-year tight end has been targeted just five times so far in 2026, and he has caught only one pass for three yards.

More than perhaps anyone else, Loveland needs a breakout game. He doesn't need to break any records, not that that's even likely with Case Keenum under center, but we need to see him prove that he's still a game-changer. The Bears didn't spend the No. 10 overall pick on him in 2025 just to get a pass blocker.

2. D'Andre Swift

An explosive performance by D'Andre Swift in the Bears' season opener gave way to one of his worst games as a pro in Week 2. Against the Vikings, he picked up a measly 45 yards on 16 carries, and 12 of those yards came on one play alone. He also coughed up the ball at Minnesota's one-yard line in the third quarter, which could be argued was the play that lost Chicago the game.

Swift dominated the Eagles last year to the tune of 125 yards on 18 rushing attempts, and that's the version of Swift we need to see tonight. The Bears won't win without him, and he still needs to justify that three-year extension he signed just before the season started.

3. Jaylon Johnson

Despite a solid training camp for the two-time Pro Bowl cornerback, Jaylon Johnson has been a liability for the Bears' secondary. Through two games against not-so-good quarterbacks, he's allowing an abysmal 114.8 passer rating according to Pro Football Focus.

Johnson only has one year left on his contract and the Bears could save a good deal of cap space to pay out other contracts in 2027 by cutting him. Johnson needs to start giving them reasons not to, and that starts tonight against the Eagles.

4. Garrett Bradbury

Garrett Bradbury and D'Andre Swift — Chicago Bears C Garrett Bradbury reacts to a touchdown scored by RB D'Andre Swift. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I thought Garrett Bradbury deserved to be benched after his mistake-ridden Week 2 performance, but the Bears are keeping him around. Unfortunately for him, his assignment this week is far more difficult as he's set to face the Eagles' dynamic defensive tackle duo of Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter.

Bradbury's starting job on the offensive line is more insecure than any of the other four positions, with rookie Logan Jones waiting in the wings, and he needs to give the Bears a good reason to give him a longer leash.

5. Devin Bush

While there haven't been any major problems with Devin Bush so far in 2026, we also haven't seen anything from him that makes Bears fans happy he's in Chicago. Even worse, in Week 2 he dropped a red zone interception in the first quarter, which could have potentially changed the outcome of that game.

The Eagles boast a strong offense, but not an invulnerable one. Now is the time for Bush to prove he's worth the $30 million contract he signed in free agency.

6. Sam Roush

The rookie tight end from Stanford collapsed in the Bears' Week 2 loss was one of the worst performances by any Bears player in recent memory. It almost goes without saying that he needs a major bounce back in Week 3. I'm not confident he'll be heavily involved in the passing game this week, but he needs to have his best game yet as a blocker to win back some faith from the coaches and fans.

7. Ben Johnson

Lost in the agonizing uncertainty around Caleb Williams' injury last week was the fact that head coach Ben Johnson had arguably his worst game yet in Chicago. He was badly outcoached by Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores on almost every drive and made at least two baffling decisions that contributed directly to the loss.

Sure, Flores is a master of his craft and his defenses give even the best play-callers fits, but Johnson has to be better. Unfortunately for him, his assignment in Week 3 is not much better. Legendary defensive coordinator and Super Bowl LIX champion Vic Fangio will be on the other sideline, and Johnson is down to his third-string quarterback.

Monday night's game is a big test for Johnson. Obviously he'll want to play for a win, but if he can at least run a competent offense with Case Keenum under center against a dominant Philadelphia defense, Bears fans should be able to breathe a little easier and trust that Ben Johnson will right the ship.

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