James Franklin trolls Chicago Bears for taking Colston Loveland over Tyler Warren

Penn State’s Tyler Warren and Michigan’s Colston Loveland were the top two projected tight ends for the 2025 NFL Draft. Now, three games into their respective rookie seasons as pros, James Franklin still can’t believe a team took the latter over the former.

Appearing on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ on Friday, Franklin was discussing several players from last season’s team who went on to the NFL. That includes Warren — the Indianapolis Colts’ pick at No. 14 — who was picked after Loveland, which Franklin doesn’t understand still.

“I’m not going to bring it up, but another team took another tight end in front of him. Somebody took another tight end in front of that guy,” Franklin said in obviously jabbing at the Bears. “I’m not going to say it.”

Through three games of their respective rookie years, Warren has been more utilized and productive for the Colts than Loveland has been for the Bears. Warren has 14 catches on 21 targets for 193 yards, averaging 64.3 per game, as he has been a top-five tight end statistically, with the highest receiving yardage average, second-most total receiving yards at the position, through Week 3.

Loveland then has three catches on six targets for 43 yards, posting 14.3 per game. He’s not even the leading tight end on the roster, with Cole Kmet having four receptions on seven targets for 70 yards and a touchdown.

The seasons have also begun a little differently for each franchise they’re with, although each has had a Top 10 scoring offense so far in the National Football League. Indianapolis is undefeated at 3-0 while Chicago is 1-2 with a pair of divisional losses already before getting their first win this past weekend against Dallas.

Warren was also more productive in his final collegiate season in Happy Valley than Loveland was in Ann Arbor, with both being their respective team’s leading receivers by far. Warren had 104 catches for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns, with him earning votes for the Heisman Trophy while the Nittany Lions made the Big Ten Championship and the CFP. Loveland then put up 56 catches for 582 yards and five touchdowns for the Wolverines.

Loveland going in the draft before Warren wasn’t too much of a surprise to some, but Warren was often always mocked ahead of him in the pre-draft process. Still, Franklin is obviously going to defend his former player, especially now with his pro career starting as well as it has so far in Indy.