Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles can breathe a large sigh of relief with one day to go before rookies report to training camp with a buzzer beater of a deal being struck.
Bears' rookie second-round pick Luther Burden III and the Bears have agreed to terms on a deal that is worth $10.965 million, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The deal is fully guaranteed, marking the first time in NFL history that a player selected 39th overall in any draft receives a fully guaranteed contract.
Chicago Bears reached agreement today with second-round pick WR Luther Burden III on a fully-guaranteed, $10.965 million contract, marking the first time in NFL history that the 39th pick has secured a fully-guaranteed deal, per the @WINSportsGroup. pic.twitter.com/NuMzmRo0IL
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 18, 2025
The finally potential drama in the Windy City has been resolved
Credit to Poles for securing all three of his second-round picks' deals, with the rookies set to report to training camp on July 19. It all started with defensive lineman Shemar Turner getting signed, followed a few hours later by offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo collecting his new contract.
Burden's new deal holds a little more interest than the other two, as he's the only one to get a fully guaranteed contract. This probably has a lot to do with his fellow wide receiver Jayden Higgins getting a fully guaranteed contract with the Houston Texans (the first one that started the second-rounder contract drama).
The potential with Burden in Ben Johnson's offense, though, gives Bears fans plenty to be excited about. Burden was a first-team All-SEC selection two years in a row and was a second-team All-American in 2023.
Chicago will look to utilize Burden in the slot and could end up being a nice deep threat receiver for quarterback Caleb Williams. Unfortunately it's still unknown on when Burden will hit the field for the Bears.
Burden did not perform well during the offseason OTAs and minicamp, as he was dealing with a soft tissue injury. That was valuable time missed on the field with his teammates, so training camp will be catch-up time for the rookie and might hurt the start of his 2025 season.
Read more: Bears' pressure meter in 2025 might be higher than fans expect
At least the Bears can be happy in knowing all their draft picks are signed and will be reporting to camp with no further issues.