Following the 2024 season, the Bears fired head coach Matt Eberflus. Chicago was lucky enough to hire former Lions OC Ben Johnson as their next head coach. He was highly sought after around the league.
Johnson was hired to help fix the Bears’ slumping offense. The team wants to get the most out of the #1 pick in 2024, Caleb Williams. Ben Johnson will certainly boost Williams’ production. In the 2025 NFL draft, the Bears used a second-round pick on WR Luther Burden out of Missouri. NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that Burden is receiving high praise from the Bears over the last week. The team believes his “upside is huge.”
How productive can WR Luther Burden be in year one?
#Bears rookie WR Luther Burden III has earned strong praise over the last week for the work he’s put in to grasp Ben Johnson’s offense, along with his attention to detail.
Several Chicago coaches tell me there’s no hiding Burden’s immense talent … it’s far better than where he… pic.twitter.com/AE4Exgl6WM
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 13, 2025
With the 39th pick in the 2025 NFL draft, the Bears selected WR Luther Burden III out of Missouri. He played three seasons collegiately for to Tigers. For his career at Missouri, Burden finished with 192 catches for 2,263 yards and 21 touchdowns. His most productive season was in 2023 when he had 81 catches for 1,212 yards and nine receiving touchdowns. Those were all career-highs for the 21-year-old.
Luther Burden joins a Bears team that is starting over and learning a brand new offensive system. At Bears minicamp in May, Burden sustained a hamstring injury and had to miss OTAs. Head coach Ben Johnson was nervous that Burden would fall behind in his development. However, the rookie WR has worked hard through training camp to learn Johson’s offense for the 2025 season.
Luther Burden’s stock in Ben Johnson’s eyes is 📈 pic.twitter.com/8nWxUH9hEA
— Just Another Year Chicago: Bears (@JAYChi_Bears) August 13, 2025
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that Burden has received “strong praise” over the last week from the coaching staff. Burden has put in the time to understand the offense, and it’s shown on the field. At the moment, Burden finds himself buried in the depth chart as a WR3. DJ Moore and Rome Odunze are unquestioned starters in 2025. Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay as listed as WR2.
At the 2025 NFL combine, Luther Burden ran a 4.41 40-yard dash and had a 39.5-inch vertical jump. At six feet, 210 pounds, Burden offers a blend of speed and explosiveness in his game. The Bears are optimistic about what the rookie WR can do in 2025. Despite being listed as a WR3, Burden could see legitimate playing time this season.