The Chicago Bears have provided a somewhat concerning update on the injury status of second-round rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III at OTAs.
According to head coach Ben Johnson, Burden is dealing with a “soft-tissue” injury that kept him off the practice field for Wednesday’s OTA session. He added that the team is uncertain when Burden will return to the field for them to resume spring workouts.
“He wasn’t there today,” Johnson said Wednesday. “We’re working through a soft-tissue deal with him right now, and it remains to be seen when we’ll get him back.”
Burden is vying for a significant role with Johnson’s new-look Bears offense in 2025 following his unexpected selection at No. 39 overall in April’s draft. In three seasons at Missouri, he caught 192 passes for 2,263 yards and 21 touchdowns over 38 games and aligned primarily in the slot, making him an ideal successor for veteran Keenan Allen.
If Burden misses a significant portion of the Bears’ OTAs, though, he could fall behind in terms of learning the details of Johnson’s offense. Time on task in practice will also help him develop better chemistry with his new starting quarterback, Caleb Williams.
The Bears will conclude their first block of OTAs on Thursday and then reconvene next week for the second block that runs May 27-30. Chicago will then hold its three-day mandatory minicamp (June 3-5) before its final block of OTAs that run June 9-11.
Luther Burden Injury Allows Bears to Test Other WRs
The Bears would no doubt prefer to have Burden available in full capacity for OTAs. He is a rookie player who has been tasked with learning a detail-focused offensive scheme in a limited amount of time. The more time he gets on the field, the better off he will be.
For however long Burden is sidelined, though, the Bears will have opportunities to focus on the evaluations of their other wide receivers, including both old and new faces who are all competing for spots in the rotation behind D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze.
One wide receiver who should benefit from additional reps is Olamide Zaccheaus. The Bears signed him to a one-year contract in free agency after he caught a career-high 45 passes for 506 yards and three touchdowns with the Washington Commanders in 2024, but Burden’s selection seemed to diminish his chances of winning a meaningful role.
Now, Zaccehaus will likely have more reps coming his way in OTAs, meaning he’ll have more opportunities to impress Johnson and his offensive staff before reaching camp.
Burden’s injury could also open a door for former fourth-round pick Tyler Scott, who has played in the slot for the Bears in the past. Scott saw his usage decline in 2024 after the Bears added Odunze and Allen during the offseason, but a new coaching staff may wipe the slate clean for him and give him a fresh opportunity to solidify his roster spot.
Which WRs Will Make Bears’ 53-Man Roster in 2025?
Right now, the Bears have five wideouts on their roster who fall somewhere in the range of solid-lock to near-lock to make the 53-man roster going into the 2025 season: Moore (lock), Odunze (lock), Burden (lock), Zaccheaus (near-lock) and Devin Duvernay (near-lock), who is more likely to win a roster spot because of his All-Pro return abilities.
If the Bears keep six or seven wide receivers, though, there is room for movement at the bottom that could get interesting depending on positional battles in OTAs and camp.
Scott appears to be one of the frontrunners at this stage despite catching just one pass for 5 yards during the 2024 season. He is young, fast and has two more seasons left on his rookie contract, so Johnson’s coaching staff will likely do all it can to evaluate if he can develop into a viable receiving threat for their offense, even as a backup in the slot.
If Scott disappoints, the Bears will have several other options to consider. They added veteran Myles Boykin to their roster earlier in the offseason along with two undrafted rookies: JP Richardson (TCU) and Jahdae Walker (Texas A&M). They also signed reserve/future contracts with Samori Toure and John Jackson III back in January.
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