The Chicago Bears have been patient with their rookies this season. It took them a while to unleash tight end Colston Loveland, and now, it might be Luther Burden III‘s turn.

The wide receiver has shown glimpses of strong play, with a 100-yard performance in his third NFL game. Now, Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle is praising Burden for his effort off the field.

“He does a lot of work behind the scenes with (Antwaan Randle El),” Doyle said.

Bears OC Declan Doyle on Luther Burden III: “He does a lot of work behind the scenes with (Antwaan Randle El)” to better learn the offense and what the team needs from him.

Doyle added that he has done a great job when his number has been called to make the most of his…

— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) November 13, 2025

Burden’s career got off to a rocky start. The second-round pick from the 2025 NFL Draft missed some crucial time in training camp, and first-year head coach Ben Johnson showed him some tough love and called him out several times. That’s only because of the high expectations and standards they have for him.

The Bears already have two legitimate targets at wide receiver in Rome Odunze and D.J. Moore, but they could use someone else to help the offense. Olamide Zaccheaus is an average player, and he’s struggled with drops.

Burden continues to work hard with assistant coach Randle El, and he’s an obvious candidate to take some of Zacchaeus’ snaps going forward. He’d give them a potential big-play specialist with a higher upside.

Of course, there will always be some growing pains and a bit of a learning curve with first-year players. But now that Burden has made up for the time lost in the preseason, it might be time to unleash him and give quarterback Caleb Williams yet another threat.

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