The Chicago Bears seemed to be finally figuring things out under new head coach Ben Johnson. With a 4-2 record through seven weeks, it seems like things were finally starting to click for the franchise. Their Week 8 game, now without Lamar Jackson playing for the Baltimore Ravens, offered them a chance to notch another win.
Unfortunately, the first half didn’t go according to plan, as the Ravens led 10-6 at the end of the period. The second half, though, became significantly worse for the franchise, as they lost Luther Burden III to an injury.
What Happened to Luther Burden III?
A second-round pick for the Bears this season, Burden hadn’t played a major role on the offense so far this season. But, with Johnson starting to get more comfortable in the head coaching chair, it seemed like things were on the brink of turning for the youngster.
However, facing Baltimore, the situation turned extremely sour for the rookie as he took a brutal hit to the head. With immediate worries about the signs of a concussion, he was taken to the locker room.
As Bears beat writer Brad Biggs confirmed on X, “#Bears rookie WR Luther Burden headed to the locker room with red hat official. Could be a concussion evaluation.” He did not return to the game, as the Bears lost for the first time since Week 2, falling to the Ravens 30-16.
In six games this season, Burden hadn’t been as immediately impactful as fans in the Windy City may have hoped. With just 172 yards, including a 65-yard bomb, and a touchdown to his name, he wasn’t setting the world on fire by any means.
As the Bears failed to consistently generate great offense, ranking 15th in the league on PFSN’s Offense Impact, the lackof production from Burden was a major reason for those numbers.
A standout at the collegiate level, he had 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns in the 2022 season for Missouri, clearly making a lasting impression on Johnson. But that impression hadn’t yet turned to numbers in a major way.
Even in this game, his numbers left a lot to be desires, as he caught the one pass targeted his way, but ultimately ended up hurting the team by going for negative one yards on the play.
