Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden faced many questions about his commitment to facets of the game that go beyond catching passes.
He quickly and decisively dispelled those concerns in Sunday night’s preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.
What did Luther Burden III Do That Was So Impressive?
First, he balled out when the ball came his way. He’s caught three passes for 49 yards and did so by getting himself into open space, making it easy for the quarterback to find him.
But it wasn’t just that he was getting open and making catches; he was picking up yardage after the catch.
On one of his catches, he broke free over the middle on play action and picked up easy yards on the left third of the field.
Bears rookie WR Luther Burden III getting his number called a good amount tonight 👏 pic.twitter.com/jYV73ptwHo
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) August 18, 2025
But more importantly, Burden took a step towards disproving people who doubted his dedication to the finer points of football, specifically blocking.
We drafted Luther Burden III for his ability to gain yards after the catch and boy can you see it on display here pic.twitter.com/VFROYRUwEK
— Ficky (@itsfickybaby) August 18, 2025
The Bears were down at the goal line on Burden’s first big block. Burden went in motion inside and blocked down on the edge, leaving an open path to the end zone for Brittain Brown.
Bears 2nd-round pick Luther Burden III hauls in a catch for 22 yards
Watch on FOX
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/eeCeLTOsor— NFL (@NFL) August 18, 2025
His second block was another beauty. This time, he started wider and went in motion before crashing down inside to take out a safety and give running back Ian Wheeler a clear path to a touchdown.
Ben Johnson: “No block, no rock.”
Luther Burden: “Heard.” 🫡 pic.twitter.com/RGWnA3WNTd
— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) August 18, 2025
Analyst Greg Olsen called Burden out on the broadcast. He said that the blocks wouldn’t show up in the box score but that they were his best plays of the night and would earn him the most respect from teammates, coaches, and likely observant fans.
Luther Burden III getting the job done in the blocking game 😤
Watch on FOX
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/K3XVWwjThh— NFL (@NFL) August 18, 2025
Burden was originally projected to be a top-10 pick by many analysts going into the 2024 season, but his stock dropped quite a bit. He had over 1,200 receiving yards in 2023 with Missouri, but just 676 in 2024.
He fell out of the first round in 2025, and the Bears nabbed him in the second round, 39th overall. However, Burden ignored the whispers and criticism, at least publicly. Then, he revealed in an ESPN piece that he is wildly motivated by his draft fall.
“No, that’s staying with me forever,” Burden said. “Everybody who passed up on me gotta pay.” The Bears grabbed Michigan tight end Colston Loveland in the first round, so their drafting of Burden represents the first time in the modern era that the Bears have taken pass catchers with their first two picks in the draft.
If Burden has his way, he’ll be making a lot more catches and knocking a lot more critics out on his way.
