The Chicago Bears may not have had rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III on the practice field during their first four practices of 2025 training camp, but they have seen another rookie taking advantage of his early opportunities.
After Friday’s third camp practice for the Bears, ESPN’s Courtney Cronin updated her running notebook with an observational tidbit about undrafted rookie wide receiver JP Richardson, who has been running with the third-team offense in the first several days.
“Undrafted free agent wide receiver JP Richardson has put together three solid days of camp,” Cronin wrote Friday. “The TCU product hauled in two catches with the third-team offense on Friday after making a one-handed catch down the sideline on the first day of practice.”
While Richardson has much working against him in his pursuit of a roster spot with the Bears, his early showings could put him on a trajectory to become a serious contender for a depth role — especially if Burden’s injury continues to keep him sidelined.
JP Richardson Shined at TCU Despite Other Standouts
Richardson went unselected in the 2025 NFL draft this spring, but he produced better at TCU than one might think, especially considering he shared the stage with others.
After spending his first two seasons at Oklahoma State, Richardson transferred to TCU and caught 103 passes for 1,269 yards and five touchdowns over 25 games. While he did finish third on the team in receptions (57) in 2024, he finished behind two eventual Day 2 draft picks — second-rounder Jack Bech and third-round selection Savion Williams.
Now, Richardson is a less complete prospect than either Bech or Williams. While he is a good possession catcher, he has some notable issues with ball security on both offense and special teams. Even still, the 5-foot-11, 192-pound rookie has good enough size and athleticism to make things interesting if he keeps making plays at the Bears’ practices.
Who Would JP Richardson Need to Beat to Make Roster?
Richardson can give the Bears something to think about if he continues to show out in practice and during their three-game preseason slate. But if he wants to win a 53-man roster spot instead of a practice-squad role, he has some established names to beat out.
The Bears do not have many roles up for grabs in their receiving role with DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Burden, Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay all likely to make the roster. Even if the Bears keep seven receivers on their initial roster, Richardson is up against more experienced options, such as Tyler Scott and veteran Miles Boykin.
The Bears also have Samori Toure, John Jackson, Maurice Alexander and fellow rookie Jahdae Walker — fresh off the non-football injury (NFI) list — in contention for roster spots. While Richardson starts on even footing with some of them, others have either played actual NFL snaps or spent time learning inside NFL buildings, offering an edge.
At this point, Richardson would likely need to emerge as the clear No. 6 option for the Bears offense to earn a spot on the team’s initial 53-man roster, but it is possible that he could sneak in as the seventh-best option — depending on what happens with Burden.
Luther Burden Remains Out With Hamstring Injury
The Bears still have a long way to go between now and the NFL’s 53-man roster cut deadline on August 26, but Burden’s hamstring injury becomes more concerning with each day he spends on the sideline at training camp.
Burden has missed quite a bit of time for the Bears in the build-up to his rookie season. After he hurt his hamstring in rookie minicamp in early May, he did not participate in any of the team’s OTAs or mandatory minicamp. While the Bears had been optimistic that he would be ready to return in time for training camp, he has remained on the sidelines for the first four practices of camp — with no clarity on when he might return.
If Burden can find his way back onto the field before the Bears’ first preseason game on August 10, he shouldn’t have too much trouble getting up to speed and building at least some chemistry with quarterback Caleb Williams and his other teammates.
If the injury keeps him out for a prolonged portion of training camp, though, the Bears may need to start considering other options for their offense early in the season.
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