The Chicago Bears enter the bye week with a 2-2 record following their blocked FG attempt against the Las Vegas Raiders in the final minute of their 25-24 victory this past weekend.
While most teams would typically prefer to have their byes come later in the season, this could be the perfect time for Ben Johnson and the coaching staff to look back at the opening month of the 2025 campaign and identify what tweaks can be made to put this roster in the best possible position to win.
The argument can be made that several players should be seeing more time on the field after four weeks of play, but one rookie playmaker should be unleashed against the rest of the league after, largely, being brought on slowly to this point.
Bears WR Luther Burden III Must See Snap Count Increase After Bye Week
After being on the field for just 18 of Chicago's offensive snaps in Week 1, rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III has been slowly but surely carving out a larger role for himself on the outside. Despite being on the field for 28% of the Bears' snaps in Week 4, Burden has only seen the field for 66 offensive plays through four games. For a skill position player drafted in the second round, that isn't enough of an opportunity to make the type of contributions to the offense that were expected out of the former SEC standout.
This isn't just a matter of a high draft pick being on the field to justify the selection. Burden has shown what he can do when given the opportunity to make an impact on offense, as he proved in Week 3 with a performance of 101 receiving yards and a score on three receptions.
It goes without saying that increasing Burden's usage would mean that another wideout would need to see the field less. DJ Moore is underachieving this season, but his contract is so hefty that allowing him to rot on the bench doesn't make much sense for Chicago. Olamide Zaccheaus, however, has done very little to justify his holding onto his job as WR3 for much longer.
When comparing Burden to Zaccheaus, the rookie has more efficient numbers, reeling in seven of the eight targets that have come his way, while the seven-year veteran is catching just under 2/3 of the targets that he receives from Caleb Williams. Burden is also more of a threat to make things happen once the ball is in his hands, as evidenced by the second-round pick outgaining Zaccheaus in YAC yards despite having half as many receptions.
One look at the way Johnson ran his offense during his tenure with the Detroit Lions shows that big plays will be a major part of his game plan moving forward. Burden undoubtedly has more big-play potential than his veteran counterpart, and that is clear despite the rookie receiving limited opportunities thus far.
With two weeks between now and Chicago's next game, figuring out a way to incorporate Burden into the lineup in a larger way is something that Johnson and the coaching staff should prioritize.