The Chicago Bears' regular season has started oddly without Caleb Williams at quarterback. Still, the team is clearly waiting for all that preseason Luther Burden III hype to be lived up to, and their Week 6 game against the Atlanta Falcons could be the game where it happens.
Burden looked different in OTAs and training camp, leading everyone to think the Bears were right to trade DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills in the offseason. Even Bears head coach Ben Johnson was buying into the hype around Burden and how great he could be.
Over five games, though, it hasn't been bad, but it hasn't been great either. Bears fans are clamoring for Burden to break out and finally become the explosive star they hoped he'd be. Week 6 needs to be the time he does that.
Luther Burden III breakout needs to arrive for Bears in Week 6 vs. Falcons
Burden has had a relatively quiet start to the season in the Bears' offense, despite being second on the team in receiving yards with 266 and tied for first with one touchdown. The issue is that he has caught 23 passes and is averaging 11.6 yards per reception.
Burden is known for having the speed to create explosive plays. Well, that hasn't really happened in 2026; he has five 20+ yard plays, but his longest is 25 yards. Rome Odunze, Kalif Raymond, and D'Andre Swift each have at least one play longer than Burden's longest.
Compared to last year, Burden had six plays for more than 25 yards in 2025. He was also averaging 13.9 yards per catch. That means Burden is still productive, but he's not the explosive player the Bears need him to be on offense.
A breakout game, though, could happen against the Falcons because they give up big plays in the secondary. Atlanta ranks 27th in the NFL in pass defense, allowing 248.4 yards per game.
This showdown screams for Burden to have a breakout game, especially if Williams returns to quarterback, which seems likely. Most importantly, Chicago needs Williams to return for Burden to get things on track for the 2026 season.
Williams is likely to keep his targets balanced among Burden, Odunze, Raymond, and Loveland. Still, the Bears can call more deep passes and let Burden run downfield, as they did when he was successful late last year.
A big part of all of this will be Johnson's play-calling and whether he will take more deep shots downfield with Williams or go for quicker passes to avoid getting hit in the pocket.
Chicago tried to make Burden more of a screen guy early in 2025, but it had mixed results. Once they let him run vertical downfield, that completely changed his whole season.
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That's exactly what the Bears need to do against the Falcons: let Burden use his speed to make big plays. Atlanta has the secondary to do it, so the Bears can't waste this opportunity, as Burden needs momentum for the rest of the season. Another average day at the office could really affect the rest of his year.
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