Bears HC Ben Johnson likes the progress he's seen from WR Luther Burden lately. The rookie missed much of the spring and the start of training camp with a hamstring injury. But he's been healthy for a couple of weeks now and is starting to flash the skill set that made him the 39th overall pick of this spring's draft.
What They're Saying
Johnson on Burden: "He's working his tail off behind the scenes. He's with [WRs coach Antwaan Randle El] all the time. I see him at breakfast, he's asking questions. ... He's doing some extra stuff that maybe most don't appreciate right now. Because of that, we're starting to see the details tighten up on the field. It's not where it needs to be yet. It frankly isn't. But I love the way he's going. I love how hard he's working. And everything we thought about him, in terms of the weapon he is with the ball in his hands, that's shown up from day one."
2025 Fantasy Football Impact
As Johnson said, Burden isn't where he needs to be yet. That's expected from a rookie who missed time in the spring.
But Burden is clearly heading in the right direction. He's flashed in training camp and caught two of three targets for 29 yards in Sunday's preseason opener against Miami. He should be one of Chicago's top three WRs before long.
While he won't be an early-season fantasy option, Burden remains an upside bench stash. He's appropriately priced at his 13th-round, WR56 ADP.