Chicago Bears rookie tight end Colston Loveland has yet to hit the practice field, but he’s already impressing his coaches from the sidelines.

Loveland, selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, has yet to participate during on-field drills as he recovers from shoulder surgery. Loveland is expected to be full-go for training camp, but he’s also missed some valuable on-field reps during OTAs and minicamps.

Still, head coach Ben Johnson has been impressed with what he’s seen from the rookie and how he’s managed to stay involved from a mental standpoint as he remains unable to get on the field with the rest of the team.

“What I can gather from the walkthroughs, from the meetings, is he’s very professional,” Johnson said. “He takes everything seriously. I think he’s going to fit in really well once we start getting him to go full speed. I know coach [Jim] Dray’s said to me numerous times how impressed he is for the types of questions he’s asking at his young age.”

While Loveland has been unable to get on the practice field, he’s spent the offseason immersing himself in the playbook as he aims to build those mental reps.

“It’s one thing to know it, but to go out there and do it in real time [is important],” he said. “It’s the walkthrough reps, the mental reps. Those are huge and crucial.”

While Johnson stopped just short of confirming Loveland will be ready for training camp next month, the rookie said the plan is to be back healthy for the first day of training camp. His lone hurdle remains getting strength back in his injured shoulder, which will be a focal point over these next six weeks.

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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: How Bears TE Colston Loveland has impressed despite being sidelined