The good vibes have been rolling for the Chicago Bears for most of the season, and thanks to Ben Johnson's arrival, the offense is finally looking like the real deal. Count that as something Bears fans haven't heard in quite some time.
One of the integral parts of this offense late in the season has been the emergence of rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III. The Bears' second-round pick looks every bit of electric, but because of the former Missouri standout taking on a bigger role, it sure looks like one of his teammates is running out of time.
This past offseason, the Bears went out and signed veteran wideout Olamide Zaccheaus to be a dependable fill-in at the WR3 position. But then, the Bears had a chance to snag Burden a few weeks later.
The Bears will have no reason to keep Olamide Zaccheaus on the roster in 2026
As this season wore on, Bears fans finally got their wish: Burden's snap counts went up, and Zaccheaus saw less work. There were two reasons for this, both of which went hand in hand.
First of all, Zaccheaus' drops had become an issue. Already, he has four on the season, which paces him for a career-high in that category (previously five, set last season with Washington). He currently has a career-low receiving success rate, too, at just 43.1 percent per Pro Football Reference.
Secondly, simply watching Burden with the ball in his hands, it doesn't take long to notice who the better talent is. Burden is one of the best in the game, this season, in terms of yards per route run and targets per route run.
In short, if he's out there, he is very likely to see the ball come his way.
Burden is being talked about, on a national level, amongst the fantasy community as one to watch, too. Those big-time football nerds absolutely love him, and often, it's those types of opinions you should pay even closer attention to.
Zaccheaus only signed a one-year contract with the Bears this past March, and from the looks of it, he's guaranteed to be a one-and-done in Chicago. Unless he has an interest in returning as the clear WR4 on an even cheaper deal, I don't see how the Bears keep him around.
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There is also potential for Johnson and Poles to snag another young wideout in next year's draft, on Day 3, to come in and take on that role.