The Chicago Bears kicked off rookie minicamp Friday, where the team’s rookie draft picks, undrafted signings and tryout players all took to the field at Halas Hall. While tight end Colston Loveland was in attendance, he wasn’t 100 percent as he recovers from a shoulder injury.
Loveland suffered an AC joint dislocation last season with the Michigan Wolverines, which required surgery in January. The timeline for recovery is six months, which would put him on track to be full-go for training camp. For now, it’s all about the mental reps for Loveland, who was limited during Friday’s rookie minicamp practice.
“That’s a priority for us, is getting him back healthy,” head coach Ben Johnson said. “Because the sooner he gets healthy, then we get the full-speed reps and that’s where it really all comes together. It’s more mental and we’re going to take full opportunity with the time we have with him (during the offseason program) in terms of getting him up to speed with not only what the veterans know mentally but how much can we walk through with him on the side to speed up the learning process.”
After he was drafted, Loveland told reporters he’s right on schedule in his recovery, where he’s currently got full range of motion, can run and catch balls and can do everything but left super heavy weight. For Loveland, he’s using this rookie minicamp to get mental reps, which he says are “just as important” as physical reps.
“The mental reps, they’re huge,” Loveland said. “They are just as important – knowing the play, seeing it, literally exactly like I’m in there. It’s different doing it obviously. But I’m doing everything I can, taking those mental reps, being in the playbook all the time. Just staying ahead, really.
“We’re going to make sure we get that done.”
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