LAKE FOREST, Ill. (104.3 The Score) — On the night of April 24, 2025, receiver Luther Burden III strapped on his gloves and went back to work. That was supposed to be the night he was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, but his hope didn't come to fruition.
Burden was distraught after being bypassed in the first round, so he called his girlfriend to operate the JUGS machine and took out his frustration by catching passes. A night later, the Bears selected Burden early in the second round.
More than a year later, Burden is entering his second season with an organization that believes in him and needs him. The Bears think Burden is ready to prove his place as a star in the NFL.
"I've been around a few guys like this that they're just wired in a kind of way," Bears head coach Ben Johnson said. "I don't know if it's at an early age, but they feel like this is their destiny. This is where they're supposed to be. And I feel that from him. I think he knows how good he can be. And in his mind, that's probably top five, top three, top receiver in the NFL.
"The way he goes about his business tells me that."
Burden had 47 receptions for 652 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie in 2025. He dealt with an injury in the offseason program and struggled to find his place initially, but he took on a bigger role in the second half of the campaign. This offseason has also added to the perception of what Burden can become.
He worked to master the route tree, an understanding that was missing a year ago, and was constantly calling his quarterbacks to take the field for throws.
"I feel like I'm way more confident," Burden said of his comfort in the playbook. "I'm able to play more faster than I was.
"I always feel confident in any route."
Part of why Burden slipped out of the first round of the NFL Draft was because league decision-makers didn't believe he'd be willing to put in the work to be great. He earned first-team all-SEC honors at Missouri and had the tools of a first-round talent, but there were more skeptics than believers of him as he came out of college.
The Bears were confident that Johnson and their culture could drive Burden to be great. They felt wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El, a nine-year NFL veteran, could take the lead in Burden's development and help him fulfill his lofty potential.
That conviction in Burden is spreading through the Bears, and he could emerge as the team's No. 1 receiver in 2026.
"We all believe in Luther," Bears quarterback Caleb Williams said. "The whole org, his teammates, me, coach, coaches.
"He's a problem, so just got to get him the ball."
Burden is highly motivated to break through as a star, and the Bears have believed in him all along.
"I'm just trying prove myself I'm the best," he said. "I want to be the best I can be, and I'm striving for greatness."
Chris Emma covers the Bears and Chicago sports scene for 104.3 The Score.
