The Chicago Bears just lost another player for their Week 4 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders. Rookie tight end Colston Loveland, who has started two of the first three games, is expected to miss the game with an injury.
Loveland has been dealing with a hip injury and is not expected to play, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. He suffered the injury in Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys.
Schefter added that the Bears elevated Stephen Carlson from the practice squad in a corresponding move. Carlson, a former undrafted free agent out of Princeton, has not appeared in a game since the 2023 season.
Through three games, Loveland has just three catches for 43 receiving yards. However, he is coming off the best play of his young career, hauling in a 31-yard pass against the Cowboys.
.@ChicagoBears first-round pick Colston Loveland picks up 32
DALvsCHI on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/SSrROZHf62
— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025
Although he has not made much of an impact thus far, Loveland is a clear part of the Bears' long-term future. Chicago made him the first tight end taken in the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting him with the 10th overall pick.
While his numbers have been low, the Bears have been slowly increasing Loveland's usage. The rookie was on the field for over 50 percent of the team's offensive snaps in each of its first two games. He played just 10 percent of the snaps in Week 3 after suffering the injury.
Without Loveland, veteran Cole Kmet figures to receive a longer leash in Week 4. Blocking specialist Durham Smythe also figures to see his role increased against the Raiders.
Bears look to continue momentum against Raiders in Week 4

The Bears move forward without Loveland, and they will attempt to embark on their first win streak of the 2025 season. Following a dismal 0-2 start, Chicago rolled past the Cowboys in Week 3, but now returns to the road in Week 4.
The Bears face a struggling Raiders team in Week 4, which is on a mild two-game skid. Las Vegas enters the matchup off consecutive double-digit losses, including a 41-24 drubbing from the Jayden Daniels-less Washington Commanders in Week 3.
Despite the teams' inverse momentum, the Raiders are trending toward entering the game as the betting favorite. The Bears opened as slight favorites, but the odds have since shifted in favor of Las Vegas.