The Chicago Bears hired Ben Johnson to turn the franchise around, and that’s not a task he takes lightly.
The first-year head coach wants everybody to be focused, and he’s not going to tolerate anything less than 100%.
That’s why he made a statement today.
According to a report by JPA Football, he kicked second-round rookie WR Luther Burden out of practice.
#Bears rookie WR Luther Burden was kicked off the field and “chewed out” by Ben Johnson after issues at the LOS during team drills, per multiple reports. pic.twitter.com/AzWmL9zLKy
— JPA Football (@jasrifootball) July 29, 2025
Burden, who had been dealing with a lingering hamstring injury, finally practices with the team for the first time, taking the field for 11-on-11 drills.
Unfortunately for him, Coach Johnson was ruthless due to a misalignment, and he reportedly ‘chewed him out’ before kicking him off the field.
Johnson had reportedly pointed out the same mistakes during Monday’s walkthrough.
The former Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator knows it will take a lot to take this talented, yet undisciplined team to the next level, and he’ll leave no stone unturned in that mission.
As for Burden, he missed OTAs, minicamp, and the first week of training camp, so perhaps it’s time to cut him some slack as well.
It’s only normal to see that he’s still catching up and getting used to the offense.
Even so, with his talent and a big responsibility, Coach Johnson isn’t going to let anything slip.
The Bears have plenty of weapons on offense, and Burden has the potential to make a strong impact right off the bat, but he will have to work a little harder to get in his head coach’s good graces.
