The Chicago Bears officially ruled out Rome Odunze on Friday after a foot injury kept him sidelined all week.
Now they’re walking into Lambeau Field without their WR1 in the most important game of the season.
For a team chasing a division title, losing their most productive receiver this late in the season creates a massive void in how this offense is built to function.
And that’s where Luther Burden III enters the story.
Odunze has been the engine of Chicago’s passing attack, piling up 661 yards and six touchdowns while developing exactly as the Bears hoped when they drafted him 9th overall.
He’s been less explosive in recent weeks (averaging just 2.6 catches over his last five games) potentially due to the nagging foot injury, but his presence still forces coverages, shapes matchups, and dictates defensive attention.
Caleb Williams hasn’t shown a natural inclination to lean heavily on DJ Moore in Odunze’s absence. Moore remains the most proven target on the roster, but Chicago’s young quarterback has thrived throwing between the numbers, where timing and trust matter most.
That’s where Burden lives, and that’s where the Bears believe he can start becoming more than a package-play contributor.
Luther Burden’s Window, Ready or Not
GettyBears WR Luther Burden III
Luther Burden III’s usage has been sporadic, almost frustratingly so. He’s lined up wide on 51.9% of snaps and in the slot on 47.3%, but his role has never been a focal point. Over the last four games, he’s logged just 35.8 offensive snaps per week, a number far too low for a second-round pick with WR2 upside.
That changes Sunday.
Green Bay will treat Burden like Moore’s complement, decoy, and occasional primary threat. In other words, for the first time, he’ll enter a game with the defense expecting him to matter. And the Bears need him to reward that expectation.
His 12.6 yards per catch is top-three among Chicago receivers, and his run after the catch skillset gives the Bears something they lose without Odunze: a weapon who can win inside, catch in traffic, and create after the ball arrives.
Ben Johnson hinted weeks ago that Burden’s time was coming. “It’s a trust level,” Johnson said. “It continues to ascend. He’s been very productive when he’s about to get the ball in his hands, and there’s a strong argument that we should get it to him more.”
Sunday feels like the day that statement becomes reality.
Poles Drafted Burden for a Day Like This
GettyBears WR Luther Burden III
The Bears didn’t take Luther Burden III to be a rotational player forever. They drafted him cuz they saw a future where he’d be a top-three weapon in an offense built around Williams.
Whether that future accelerates now depends entirely on how he handles being thrust into the center of the game plan.
Chicago believes Burden can be a long-term WR2. Some inside the building believe he may eventually push for WR1 responsibilities. But developmental hopes are one thing, proving it at Lambeau against a defense preparing for you, is another.
This game represents the first true test of whether Burden is on schedule, ahead of schedule, or simply not ready yet.
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