Once upon a time, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles made a colossal mistake when he opted to trade a second-round pick for wide receiver Chase Claypool. Although the Pittsburgh Steelers made out like bandits on that one, the Bears have fully moved on and this fan base can finally forget the blunder.
We could talk all day about Poles' mishaps, but the Claypool trade was one of those hilarious lows and, to be frank, this isn't fully about Claypool. This is about none other than the Bears' second-round rookie Luther Burden III.
Against the Dallas Cowboys this past weekend, Burden was finally cut loose. Ben Johnson's offense had arrived in more ways than one, but Burden's touchdown was the breakout moment Bears fans had been waiting for.
Luther Burden's breakout moment finally puts the Chase Claypool trade to bed
On the trick play which saw Caleb Williams and D'Andre Swift complete a risky flea flicker, Williams struck Burden deep with a 65-yard bomb that resulted in the Soldier Field crowd going absolutely bonkers.
Why are we still bringing up the Claypool trade, you ask? Good question.
The thougth with Claypool was that the Bears were getting a big play type of receiver. They traded a second rounder in what ended up being a total disaster of a decision.
Now, they've got a second rounder of their own who just showed the world that he's a big play waiting to happen at any given moment. Burden ended his Week 3 contest against the Cowboys with three catches for 101 yards and that score.
For those keeping track, that's an average of over 33 yards per reception for Burden.
The folks who called Burden a one-trick pony or thought his college tape only revealed a guy who was good on the short, quick routes are quickly being proven wrong. Burden is going to be a problem, and he's already giving the Bears more than Claypool ever dreamed of.
For all of the flack Poles gets from this fan base, the Burden pick is looking mighty fine right about now. This doesn't mean we can forgive and forget, but it sure makes it easier to look ahead.
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Between Burden's big game and Rome Odunze's breakout season in the making, the Bears offense is finally reaching levels we never knew were possible. Hopefully, this is only the tip of the iceberg and Burden continues to flourish alongside Odunze and DJ Moore.