Burden (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday's game at Cincinnati.
Burden suffered a concussion during this past Sunday's loss at Baltimore and wasn't able to practice in any capacity during Week 9 prep. With no progress to speak of yet through the protocol for head injuries, he could be in danger of missing multiple contests. Meanwhile, the rest of the Bears' banged-up wide receivers don't have designations going into the weekend, meaning Rome Odunze (heel), DJ Moore (hip/groin) and Olamide Zaccheaus (knee) all are poised for their typical roles in the passing game.
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Bears' Luther Burden: Sidelined for another practice
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Burden (concussion) didn't practice Thursday.
Since exiting this past Sunday's loss to the Ravens with a concussion, Burden hasn't made enough progress through the NFL's five-step protocol to take part in any on-field work. At this stage, Burden appears to be facing an uphill battle to play this weekend in Cincinnati.
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Bears' Luther Burden: Doesn't practice Wednesday
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Burden (concussion) didn't take part in Wednesday's practice.
Burden didn't return to this past Sunday's loss at Baltimore after being concussed early in the third quarter. He was joined as a non-participant Wednesday by fellow WRs Rome Odunze (heel), DJ Moore (hip/groin) and Olamide Zaccheaus (knee). Burden himself will need to gain clearance from an independent neurologist in order to have a chance to play Sunday at Cincinnati, but a DNP to begin Week 9 prep isn't exactly a great sign for upcoming active status.
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Bears' Luther Burden III: Sleeper WRs
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D.J. Moore (groin) is expected to play in Week 7 against the Saints, but we don't know if he's 100 percent after spending time in the hospital after the Week 6 win at Washington. That could give Burden more playing time against the Saints. Burden just had season highs in targets (four) and receptions (four) against the Commanders, and he finished with 51 yards, which was second on the team behind D'Andre Swift. The Saints have allowed a pair of receivers to score at least 12.2 PPR points in the same game twice this season, with Seattle in Week 3 and New England in Week 6. I can see Rome Odunze and Burden doing that in Week 7 if Moore is limited.
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Bears' Luther Burden III: Stashes (WR Preview)
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It's coming. I am not sure it is coming in Week 7, though if DJ Moore is out it might, but I do believe Burden will eventually become a wide receiver who plays a majority of the snaps in this offense this year. And what he has shown us in short spurts is enough to get excited about. Burden has 16 fewer targets than Olamide Zaccheaus but seven more yards. It is very common for rookie wide receivers to break out and win leagues in the second half. Burden looks like one of the best candidates.
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Bears' Luther Burden: Solid effort on MNF
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Burden finished with four receptions on as many targets for 51 yards in Monday's 25-24 win over Washington.
Burden bounced back nicely from the disappointing two-catch performance we saw prior to Chicago's Week 5 bye. The rookie slot receiver finished with more receiving yards than DJ Moore (42) and Rome Odunze (32) as QB Caleb Williams distributed the ball more evenly amongst his talented group of receivers Monday. Burden's production has fluctuated wildly on a week-to-week basis, making it hard to bank on his production against the Saints in Week 7.
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Bears' Luther Burden: Targeted twice in victory
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Burden recorded minus-four yards on two receptions in the Bears' 25-24 win over the Raiders on Sunday.
Aside from Burden's 101-yard effort in Week 3 against the woeful Dallas defense, he has a total of minus-three yards in his other three games. Until his role in the offense grows, Burden's floor makes him difficult to place in fantasy lineups.
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Bears' Luther Burden III: Stashes (WR Preview)
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All it takes is a little bit of a splash from a rookie like Burden to get us excited. His snap share and opportunity share were both season-highs in Week 3. While you can't start him based on such a limited role, his 65-yard touchdown should be a reminder about just how much upside there is once he's a full-time player. This is exactly the type of player you want on your bench.
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Bears' Luther Burden III: Week 4 Waiver Priority List
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Burden only had three catches on three targets in Week 3 against Dallas, but he finished with 101 receiving yards and a touchdown. Granted, it was against the Cowboys, and the 65-yard touchdown came on the end of a flea-flicker that left Burden wide open. But we want to see him get more playing time, and hopefully this big outing will be the start of something for the rookie. He's worth adding and stashing on your bench for up to 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Bears' Luther Burden: Breaks out against Dallas
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Burden recorded three receptions on three targets for 101 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 31-14 win over the Cowboys. He added one rush for seven yards.
Burden was relatively quiet through his first two games as a pro, but he caught a 65-yard touchdown on a flea-flicker late in the first quarter as the highlight of his potential breakout performance Sunday. He also chipped in a 29-yard reception to set up another Chicago touchdown two possessions later. Burden was still prioritized behind Rome Odunze and DJ Moore in terms of targets, which casts doubt on the sustainability of his role moving forward. However, Moore has been used primarily in the short areas of the field, so Burden could be another explosive playmaking option to complement Odunze.
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Bears' Luther Burden: Limited role in defeat
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Burden caught one pass on two targets for five yards in the Bears' 52-21 loss to the Lions on Sunday.
Burden has a total of three targets over the first two games, and the rookie is the clear No. 4 receiver in the offense. Burden's biggest contribution to the team has been as a kick returner. It's possible that Burden sees his role grow over the course of the season if he can impress the coaching staff.
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Bears' Luther Burden: Light usage in NFL debut
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Burden caught his lone target for minus-3 yards and returned one kickoff for 44 yards in Monday's 27-24 loss to the Vikings.
The No. 39 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Burden had an underwhelming debut. He took the field for just 18 of the Bears' 67 snaps on offense, ranking fourth among Chicago receivers behind Rome Odunze (63 snaps), DJ Moore (56) and Olamide Zaccheaus (30). Burden could eventually supplant Zaccheaus for a regular spot in three-receiver sets, but quarterback Caleb Williams will first have to prove that he can support multiple pass catchers on a weekly basis before Burden emerges as a viable fantasy option.
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Bears' Luther Burden: Two catches against Miami
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Burden caught two of three targets for 29 yards in Sunday's 24-24 preseason tie against the Dolphins.
Burden was reasonably productive considering he played only the first half and the Bears didn't dress starting quarterback Caleb Williams. Burden could open the regular season as Chicago's No. 3 wide receiver behind DJ Moore and Rome Odunze if the rookie second-round pick beats out Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay. Chicago's next preseason game will be this coming Sunday against the Bills.
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Bears' Luther Burden: Expected to play Sunday
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Burden and fellow rookie Colston Loveland are expected to play in Sunday's preseason opener against the Dolphins, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Several of the Bears' offensive starters will be absent from Sunday's contest, including Caleb Williams, D'Andre Swift, DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet. Per Briggs, Burden figures to see plenty of reps Sunday, and he'll operate as the WR1 with Moore and Odunze in street clothes.
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Bears' Luther Burden: Participating in team drills
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Burden (hamstring) is taking part in team drills at Tuesday's practice, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports.
Burden missed OTAs, minicamp, and the first four days of training camp due to a hamstring injury sustained during rookie minicamp back in May, but head coach Ben Johnson said the 39th overall pick in the 2025 Draft is ready to be eased into team drills "slowly but surely," per Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com. Johnson said the wideout is "a little behind right now," but it at least appears that Burden's health is no longer impeding his development. He still has plenty of time to display his playmaking abilities in training camp and the preseason, and to potentially push Olamide Zaccheaus for the No. 3 receiver role behind DJ Moore and Rome Odunze.
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Bears' Luther Burden: Could be ready soon
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Bears coach Ben Johnson said Thursday that he hopes Burden (undisclosed) will be ready to practice in a few days, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports.
Burden's soft-tissue injury from the offseason program lingered longer than the Bears expected, but they apparently remain optimistic he'll be available for the start of training camp. Once he's declared healthy, the 39th overall pick figures to compete with Olamide Zaccheaus for the No. 3 WR spot, behind returning starters DJ Moore and Rome Odunze.
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Bears' Luther Burden: Not practicing yet
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Burden (undisclosed) didn't participate Wednesday in the first practice of training camp, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.
The 39th overall pick avoided Chicago's pre-camp injury lists, suggesting he's expected to practice sooner than later. Burden missed OTA practices and June minicamp after suffering an unspecified soft-tissue injury in May. It's an unhappy start to his pro career, but he still has time to lock down the No. 3 WR job before Week 1, as he'll be competing with Olamide Zaccheaus (and maybe Devin Duvernay or Tyler Scott).
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Bears' Luther Burden: Bears add Round 2 wideout
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The Bears selected Burden in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 39th overall.
Burden (6-foot, 206 pounds) was a blue-chip recruit at Missouri who mostly followed through on expectations but still went into the NFL Draft with a somewhat uneven prospect profile. More specifically, Burden has demonstrated standout athleticism (4.41-second 40-yard dash) and was clearly a standout yards-after-catch threat throughout his three-year collegiate career, but Burden never conclusively demonstrated a skill set as a route runner, especially downfield. Burden has the wheels and hands to make a downfield impact, and it could turn out that his usage in the Missouri offense needlessly limited his route tree. Burden might primarily work from the slot in Chicago in the short term, if only because DJ Moore and Rome Odunze figure to claim most of the boundary snaps.
