It took him a while, but Luther Burden III finally gave Chicago Bears fans a glimpse of what life could look like when he's getting more touches. Despite only logging three targets, he turned them into three catches for 102 yards and one score.
It was a big break for the rookie out of Missouri. He had combined for two receptions for 12 yards in the first two weeks, a disappointing start to the season for someone who was expected to be heavily involved from the jump. However, he stays grounded and knows he hasn't accomplished anything yet.
Luther Burden III is Hungry For More
According to a report by Kevin Fishbain, Burden didn't even care too much about his breakout game. Instead, he reached out to his coaches to discuss a kick return, showing frustration for not doing a better job.
"I like that Luther is fearless. And he's never satisfied. ... He was texting the night of really upset about the kickoff return he had and seeing how he could be better at that. He's hungry," Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said on Buther per the Athletic's Kevin Fishbain.
That's the type of determination and work ethic that could often turn a good player into a great one. The Bears have high hopes for their second-round wide receiver, which is why Ben Johnson has coached him hard from the start.
Johnson even reportedly kicked him out of practice once, but he's had nothing but praise for him. That's just to show that, with a lot of talent, expectations will also be steep. Fortunately, he seems up for the task.
Burden has the potential to be a perennial big-play threat, especially in Johnson's motion and trickery-filled offense. He's a two-time first-team All-SEC who finished his collegiate career with 2,263 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns.
He has the ability to make defenders miss, as shown by the way he sold the run fake in his 65-yard flea-flicker for a touchdown. That craftiness and swift movements make him a constant threat to pick up yards after the catch.
Still, that determination to keep working and the attention to detail might be his best trait. He knows he's just getting started and that he needs to earn his stripes, just like everybody else. It's not time to celebrate yet, and with more hard work, there should be many more 100-yard games in his future.