LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — Bears rookie receiver Luther Burden III returned to practice Monday morning, marking his first work on the field since May.
Burden suffered what the Bears have called a soft tissue injury, which forced him to miss most of the offseason program. The team anticipated he would be ready for the start of training camp last week. Instead, Burden was sidelined for the first four days of practice.
“He’s utilizing that time as much as he can,” head coach Ben Johnson said last week of the then-absent Burden. “But there’s really no substitute for full-speed reps. So, the sooner we get him out there, the quicker he can carve a role for himself.”
A second-round pick of the Bears in April, Burden was an All-SEC selection twice at Missouri. He hauled in 192 receptions and 21 touchdowns over three seasons.
In other injury news, Bears left tackle Braxton Jones worked with the first-team offense during a portion of team drills Monday morning. It marked his first full-speed action since suffering an ankle injury last December.
Newly signed Bears defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon left practice on a cart alongside head athletic trainer Andre Tucker. He appeared to have suffered a hand/wrist injury. Johnson wasn't made available to reporters following practice.
The Bears will return to practice Tuesday morning at Halas Hall.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.