What a ride that was on Sunday Night Football. The Chicago Bears more than proved their worth, on the road, against one of the best teams in the NFC. In a game that came down to the final play (I know, shocker), the San Francisco 49ers prevailed.
Somewhat lost in the heartbreaking, last-second ending in the game, was the fact that rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III went down with an injury. He fell down in the end zone on that final play and ended up being carted to the locker room.
At first, it seemed serious. But, we were later informed that the injury was not as serious as it originally looked, thanks to Adam Schefter's report.
Also lost in all of the chaos of the game, and overshadowed by Burden's injury, was the fact that the Bears rookie totaled the most receiving yards by a Chicago rookie in 44 years.
Luther Burden keeps proving the Bears right while making every other team pay
Burden went for a whopping 138 receiving yards on eight receptions and scored once. Those yards were the most seen by a Bears rookie since Marcus Anderson in 1981, who had 176.
Bears fans remember one moment very well, after the 2025 NFL Draft, where Burden was asked a question by reporters. When discussing the idea that every other team passed on him in the first round and during the initial picks of the second round, Burden sent a stern message.
"That's staying with me forever. So, everybody who passed up on me gotta pay," he told reporters.
Fast forward seven months, and Burden is certainly making other teams pay. He has come on during the latter half of the season and has become a darling of the fantasy football community. Those folks who look at all of the intricacies of the position have raved about him for a while now.
Take this stat for example: nearly half of Burden's receiving yards, on the season, are yards gained after the catch. Through Week 17, he's had 307 yards after the catch and 617 yards total.
There was one particular play, late in the game vs. the 49ers, that showed his incredible ability to create after the catch. On a third-and-10, Burden caught the ball short of the sticks and did the rest himself, putting Niners defensive backs on skates.
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To think the Bears were able to snag him in the second round is still absurd. He is coming on in a big way, and hopefully, his injury isn't too serious, so that he can make an impact in the postseason.