Bear Digest

Bears rookie makes history after epic Week 9 game against Bengals

Bears' rookie tight end Colston Loveland became the first player in nearly 25 years to pull off this feat.
Pete Martuneac|
Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Good news seems to just keep coming the way of the Chicago Bears. Following an improbable comeback victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, Colston Loveland earned Players of the Week honors as the best offensive player in the NFC in Week 9. His six receptions for 118 yards led all Bears players last Sunday, but it was his final play of the game, a 58-yard catch and run for the game-winning touchdown, that locked up this weekly award.

I have to admit, I thought that this honor would go to Loveland's teammate and fellow rookie Kyle Monangai. The seventh-round running back carried the ball 26 times for an incredible 176 yards, and he only seemed to get better as the game wore on. If D'Andre Swift is held out once again in Week 10, then the rookie will have yet another shot at proving he's an NFL running back. As Monangai said after the Week 9 win, "I expect the results I get, but it doesn't mean I'm satisfied... this is more of just letting myself know that I'm on the right track."

Though deserving as Monangai was, it's hard to argue with Loveland, the hero of the game, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. That alone has to be music to Bears fans' ears, but what will really get them excited is hearing what a rare feat Loveland just pulled off.

According to Kevin Fishbain , a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Chicago Bears, the last Bears rookie to be named NFC Offensive Player of the Week was Jordan Howard in Week 8 of the 2016 season. Howard had nearly identical stats to Monangai, rushing 26 times for 153 yards and a touchdown. Additionally, no other rookie tight end has won the honor since 2002. Jeremy Shockey got the nod in the final week of the 2002 season, reeling in 10 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown.

This is an impressive achievement when you consider the quality of tight ends to have been in the NFC over the last 23 years. You had guys like Greg Olsen, Jason Witten, Kyle Pitts, and George Kittle all in the NFC and none of them won Player of the Week as a rookie.

Hopefully, this will be one of many accolades for Loveland. As a Top 10 draft pick, he'll be expected to contribute in a big way to Chicago's success, just like Rome Odunze, who has run into a bit of a rough patch lately. But if all goes well, both young playmakers will be running routes for Caleb Williams for many years to come.

Colston Lovelan
Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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