Top Chicago Bears position battles to watch in 2025: No. 4 tight end

There’s less than a month left before the Bears reconvene for training camp, and there’s plenty of intrigue surrounding a team that went 5-12 last season.

New head coach Ben Johnson and his coaching staff have brought a new mentality to Chicago with their attention to detail and high level of accountability. Quarterback Caleb Williams will also try to take a big step in his second season after an up-and-down rookie year.

There will be plenty to watch when rookies arrive for training camp on July 19 and veterans join them July 22. Bears general manager Ryan Poles made some major additions through free agency, trades and the draft, creating some interesting position battles once camp starts.

Shaw Local is ranking the top-five position battles to watch during training camp. Here’s a look at No. 4 on the list. Check back each day this week for the next installment.

No. 4 Tight end

Returning player: Cole Kmet

Departed players: Gerald Everett, Marcedes Lewis

Newcomers: Colston Loveland, Durham Smythe, Joel Wilson, Stephen Carlson, Jordan Murray

Why it’s worth watching: Poles surprised many analysts when he selected Loveland in the first round of this year’s draft. Kmet seemed destined to be the Bears’ tight end of the future when he signed a four-year, $50 million contract extension in 2023. Now he’ll compete for snaps once training camp starts next month.

The selection caught Kmet off guard. But both he and Loveland were looking forward to the competition for snaps in training camp.

“I’m excited about it, to not only push him and for him to push me and we’re going to make each other better,” Kmet said during the spring. “I think the goal with it is to become the best 12 (personnel) tandem in the league and see where we can take it from there.”

Kmet figures to be the Bears’ primary tight end when the season starts even after a down season last year. Former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron didn’t involve Kmet in his offense much and Kmet had his lowest career receiving yards (474) receptions (47) and targets (55) other than his rookie season. Kmet had at least 500 receiving yards in each of the previous three seasons.

A change in play caller should benefit Kmet. Johnson helped Sam LaPorta become one of the league’s top tight ends during his time as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator by featuring LaPorta’s length and speed in his offense.

The major question at the position heading into training camp surrounds Loveland and how quickly he can make an impact as a rookie. Loveland missed all of the spring practices as he recovered from a shoulder surgery he had in January. He expected to be ready for the start of training camp, but he’ll be a little behind after missing valuable months working with Williams and the rest of the offense.

Once Loveland is healthy, he’ll give Johnson a valuable big weapon. Loveland became an interesting selection at No. 10 because of his ability to be a big receiver who’s difficult for linebackers and cornerbacks to stop. He also has the versatility to lineup up outside to create mismatches.

Both Kmet and Loveland figure to be on the field at the same time during games. Johnson was one of the top play callers in the NFL to use two tight-end sets last season. Having both pass-catching threats on the field together could open the offense even more for Williams.

But it will be interesting to watch Loveland’s snap counts once he does start to acclimate to the speed of the NFL. Johnson could try to use Loveland’s ability to separate with his speed and size in specific moments, which could lead to more playing time in key moments.