The Chicago Bears might already have a problem developing with one of their promising new rookie draft picks after Saturday’s latest offseason practice.
According to 670 The Score’s Chris Emma, Bears second-round wide receiver Luther Burden III caught a deep pass toward the end of Saturday’s on-field session and landed awkwardly on his side, prompting him to leave practice and speak with team trainers.
Afterward, Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle declined to comment on Burden’s status and deferred to head coach Ben Johnson for injury updates. The team, however, did not have Johnson speak with the media following Saturday’s practice, leaving the rookie’s status up in the air heading into Sunday’s final day of rookie minicamp.
Johnson is also not scheduled to speak with the media following Sunday’s practice.
The Bears selected Burden with the No. 39 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft after he unexpectedly slid out of the first round. He will expectedly vie for a starting spot in the rotation alongside veteran D.J. Moore and 2024 first-rounder Rome Odunze in 2025.
Luther Burden III Has Clear Path to Starting in 2025
The Bears surprised many around the league when they selected Luther Burden early in the second round of the draft. Not only were the Bears top-heavy at the wide receiver spot, but they had also just used the No. 10 overall selection in the first round to acquire a new pass-catcher for their offense in the form of Michigan tight end Colston Loveland.
Even still, Burden has a clear path to becoming the Bears’ starting slot receiver in 2025 if he stays healthy and shows his production dropoff at Mizzou in 2024 was an anomaly.
Burden looked like a bona fide first-round selection after catching 86 passes for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns during the 2023 season for the Tigers. He had good speed and acceleration and a natural feel for the field, using his instincts to make plays at all levels and gain additional yardage after the catch. Coming into 2024, he had a chance to emerge as the most sought-after wide receiver prospect in the 2025 NFL draft class.
Instead, Burden’s production took a swan dive as Missouri’s offense and quarterback play slumped in 2024. He finished with 61 receptions (just 25 shy of his breakout year) but also wound up with fewer receiving yards (676) and receiving touchdowns (six).
Fortunately for Burden, the runway is clear for him to claim a premium role with the Bears’ better-built NFL offense if he can overcome his anomalous final season with the Tigers. The Bears have veterans Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay in the mix for roles in the receiving rotation along with former second-round pick Tyler Scott, but Burden’s talent — and second-round selection — should give him an edge over them.
Bears Staying Cautious With Another Injured Rookie
Fans may need to anxiously await an update on Burden’s status after he dropped out of his second rookie minicamp practice with a potential injury, but there is more clarity about the Bears’ other banged-up rookie pass-catcher: the first-round pick Loveland.
The Bears knew Loveland would need time to recover from a shoulder issue when they selected him with the 10th overall pick. He had dislocated a joint in his right shoulder during the third game of the Wolverines’ season in 2024, missing just three games before rejoining his teammates and playing out the remainder of the season.
After the season ended, Loveland underwent a successful surgery at the end of January, but his orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, sent out a letter after the procedure to inform NFL teams that he expects Loveland will be ready for non-contract workouts during the offseason program and cleared for full contact by the start of training camp.
Out of caution, though, the Bears have kept Loveland off the field for their three-day rookie minicamp. Johnson explained the rationale after Friday’s first practice.
“We’re rehabbing him,” Johnson said of Loveland on May 9. “That’s a priority for us, getting him back healthy. Because the sooner he gets back healthy, then we get the full-speed reps and that’s where it all comes together. So it’s more mental and we’re going to take full opportunity of the time we have with him over the next six weeks 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.”
