While the Chicago Bears were celebrating their first win of the season in Week 3, rookie tight end Colston Loveland was forced to watch from the sidelines. However, that may not be the case in Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Loveland's hip injury isn't considered serious, giving him a chance to play, via Adam Schefter of ESPN. How much he is able to practice throughout the week will ultimately dictate whether he suits up or not.
The rookie tight end went down with his hip injury after making one grab for 31 yards against the Cowboys. His long catch was surely impressive, but Loveland has yet to put forth a consistent effort during his rookie season. A lingering hip problem would only make that worse.
Still, 31 yards is better than the zero he put up against the Detroit Lions in Week 2. He had two grabs for 12 yards in his NFL debut, giving him three catches for 43 yards total. As he gets more acclimated to the offense, the Bears are hoping to see Loveland make a much larger impact.
Chicago took a gamble on drafting him in the first place. Holding the No. 10 overall pick, they made Loveland the first tight end off the board despite fellow top prospect Tyler Warren being available. Through his first three weeks in the NFL, Warren has made 14 receptions for 193 yards.
Head coach Ben Johnson wouldn't have drafted Loveland if he didn't expect him to play a massive role in the offense. The first step will be getting fully past any hip problems. But once he's back on the gridiron, Loveland will need to live up to his No. 10 pick hype sooner rather than later.
