Loveland is expected to serve as the Bears' No. 1 tight end and see a spike in playing time Sunday against the Ravens with Cole Kmet (back) inactive for the contest, Phil Thompson of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Following the Bears' Week 5 bye, Loveland had already noticed an uptick in snaps, handling a 51 percent share in a Week 6 win over the Commanders and a 41 percent share in the Week 7 win over the Saints. Though the Bears will have Durham Smythe and Stephen Carlson on hand as depth options at tight end, Loveland likely stands to see an even greater bump in snaps, with the absence of Kmet making the rookie first-round pick the clear top pass-catching option at the position. Loveland has flashed some upside in his limited opportunities thus far, recording eight receptions for 78 yards on 13 targets through his first five NFL games.