The Chicago Bears did not rest on their laurels after laying claim to the NFC North crown in 2025. After what felt like endless rumors regarding his future in the Windy City, veteran wide receiver DJ Moore was traded to the Buffalo Bills, along with a fifth-round pick, in exchange for a second-round pick in this year's draft.
Moore wasn't the only defection from the WR room, though. Fellow veteran wideout Olamide Zaccheaus also parted ways with the Bears this offseason, electing to sign a two-year, $4.5 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons. Devin Duvernay also signed with the Arizona Cardinals, leaving just three of the six wideouts to record a statistic from the 2025 campaign still on the roster.
While this may be cause for serious concern for just about any other team, the Bears believe they landed an absolute steal in 2025 second-round pick Luther Burden III and expect him to take a major leap forward in his second season as a pro. Offensive coordinator Press Taylor isn't ready to crown Burden as Chicago's next big thing at WR, though, as the former Missouri standout will have to earn whatever success he enjoys in 2026.
"Those are two mature, experienced players that brought a lot to our team that we're really going to miss," Taylor said during a recent interview when referencing the losses of Moore and Zaccheaus. "But like you said, it's an opportunity for these young guys to really step into the role. We expect Luther Burden to take a year or two jump if he puts the work in."
Luther Burden Won't Just Be Handed a Bigger Bears Role
The end of Taylor's sentence includes some very precise wording. "If he puts the work in," is a reminder to the second-year receiver that while there is a clear path for him to be the top wideout on the team, next to Rome Odunze, it doesn't mean Burden will simply be handed the job.
Could this be some version of "coach speak" while addressing the media? Undoubtedly so. However, given that this will be Taylor's first season as the OC in Chicago, it would make sense that he wants his top talents ready to perform at a high level from the start of the offseason program through training camp.
Taylor isn't the only member of Chicago's organization to publicly hold Burden in high regard recently, as general manager Ryan Poles shared similar thoughts on what the wideout is capable of in the aftermath of trading Moore to Buffalo.
“I did not expect Luther Burden to be where he was, and he showed up and showed some big-time flashes. Every time that dude touches the ball, special things can happen," Poles said when discussing the decision to draft Burden in 2025, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
This past season, Burden appeared in 15 games, reeling in 47 of his 60 targets for 652 receiving yards, just 30 yards shy of Moore's position-leading mark of 682, to go along with a pair of touchdowns. With 150 combined targets to Moore and Zaccheaus walking out the door, quarterback Caleb Williams will need to find reliable outlets to deliver the ball to, and Burden has all of the necessary ability to be that guy in the Windy City.
Taylor and Poles certainly seem to agree. Now, all that is left is for Burden to prove it on the field, as his new OC hopes to see as we inch closer to the 2026 campaign.