Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III has been nothing but productive this season when the ball gets in his hands. And following six dropped passes from the Chicago receiving group, two by Olamide Zaccheaus, there has been an increased buzz that Burden should see more volume in his opportunities.

So far this season, in eight games played, Burden has 16 receptions on 18 targets for 222 yards. He has scored one touchdown and is averaging 13.9 yards per reception. Burden is a big-play receiver who has tremendous run-after-the-catch ability, and hasn’t been showcased all that often.

After falling into the second round in the 2025 NFL draft, Chicago selected the receiver No. 39 overall. After some thought, he’d end up a first-round player; he’s seen limited production in an offense loaded with weapons.

Burden started the summer in Chicago with minor injuries that sidelined him in OTAs and training camp, getting him off to a slow start in learning the offense and building on-field chemistry with Caleb Williams.

On Sunday, Burden caught three passes for 51 yards, including a big reception late in the game that helped Chicago’s 24-20 comeback win against the New York Giants.

That big reception was Burden final one of the day that setup the game-winning touchdown. It was a 27-yard deep curl route that Williams hit Burden on as he came out of his break. With 2:14 left in the fourth quarter, Burden turned around and with a second effort, gained an extra five yards.

This route by Luther Burden wow. Sells vertical. Quick in and out of the break great reactive catch.

Give this man more targets. #DaBears #Bears pic.twitter.com/NdwipjPaxw

— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) November 9, 2025

Two plays later, Williams, on a 17-yard rush, took it into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.

“It definitely felt good to help make a big play, in a crucial moment,” Burden said. “It was man-to-man, I had a deep stopper route, that’s what we call it, it’s like a longer curl. Pretty easy, get him going, stop on a dime, and make a play.”

Burden, despite the limited opportunities so far this season, has the highest passer rating when targeted at 136.6. Sunday, he played the most snaps so far this season at 33, and the trust from coach Ben Johnson and Williams is only growing week-to-week.

“You slowly see his rep count go up; he’s a guy that’s starting to get more targets,” Johnson said. “It’s a trust level between the coaches and the player, a trust level between the quarterback and the receiver. It continues to ascend, and he’s been very productive when we’ve been able to get him the ball in his hands, and there is a strong argument that we should get it to him more.”