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When the Bears have the ball, how much can coach Ben Johnson trust his rookie class?

Paul Beaty/AP Photos

Colston Loveland’s first NFL game is Monday.
It doesn’t feel like it yet.

“I’m sure it’ll hit a little bit harder when that day comes,” the Bears tight end said. “We’re here. We’ve been here for months, camp, preseason. It’s here now.”

Head coach Ben Johnson will spend all week winnowing down his game plan. Among the questions he has to answer is exactly how much he trusts his rookie skill position players — “Our young bucks,” he said — to be where they’re supposed to be.

He has a lot of them: Michigan tight end Loveland was the No.