There have been many disappointments in the Chicago Bears' 2025 rookie class, ranging from underperforming players to injuries; the class has been plagued through four games.
One rookie on the Bears who has shown the most potential from the group is second-round pick wide receiver Luther Burden III. Granted, the stats will not pop out at anyone, but there's a reason for that.
Through four games, Burden has caught seven passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. In the Bears' Week 3 game against the Dallas Cowboys, Burden actually had 101 yards receiving and one touchdown, including a 65-yard score in the win. The rest of the season, though, is four catches for -2 yards.
A big reason for that is that the Bears have primarily thrown the ball to Burden behind the line on screen passes. Most of those have clearly not worked and have multiple times resulted in Burden gaining negative yards.
Going into their Week 6 primetime showdown with the Washington Commanders, Burden is hoping to have a stronger game. Another poor performance from him might lead fans to include him in the same conversation as first-round pick Colston Loveland, considering him a bust.
Burden must take advantage of what could be opportunities heading his way
The advantage Burden has right now is that he is a bit under the radar. Washington's secondary is going to be focused on eliminating Rome Odunze from the passing game. That might create an opening for Burden to have some explosive plays.
That Week 3 Cowboys game demonstrated what happens when the Bears go vertical down the field with Burden. He possesses enough speed to dominate any defensive back in the NFL.
This comes at a price, though. If the Commanders are truly able to lock up Odunze and Burden doesn't rise to the occasion, this could result in losing playing time. Chicago could turn more to Olamide Zaccheaus in the slot.
Read more: 4 Bears desperate for stellar performances in Week 6 clash against Commanders
Burden looks like he can be a great NFL wide receiver, but he just hasn't had the opportunities to show it. Put on a great show on Monday Night Football, and he can guarantee that Bears head coach Ben Johnson will play him more often.