The Chicago Bears are officially winners of seven of their last eight games with Sunday's 19-17 comeback victory over the rival Minnesota Vikings. Heading into the pivotal NFC North clash, Bears fans wondered if rookie wideout Luther Burden III's workload would increase after a quiet first half to the season. Fortunately, Burden's supporters got exactly what they wanted.
After playing a season-high 33 offensive snaps (21 passing) in Week 10, Burden finished with as many snaps (plus two more pass opportunities) in the win against the Vikings. Of course, the increased workload meant more opportunities in the passing game. The first-year Bear saw a career-high five targets on Sunday afternoon, bringing in three of those balls for 27 receiving yards.
It was exactly the type of performance the Bears wanted to see from this year's 39th overall selection. But while the Windy City is celebrating Burden's latest effort, his promising outing has likely left a certain teammate's future up in the air.
Luther Burden Just Stole Olamide Zaccheaus' Job in Week 11
There's no doubt about it: Burden's latest performance is bad news for veteran Bears teammate Olamide Zaccheaus. The 28-year-old playmaker joined Chicago on a one-year contract to help bolster the WR room's depth, and it's safe to say he hasn't lived up to expectations so far.
Entering Week 11, Zaccheaus had tallied 32 catches for 248 receiving yards and a touchdown in nine games (3 starts). Although that's far from the worst stat line from a wideout this season, his 7.8 yards per reception and 5.0 yards per target are both the worst averages of his seven-year career. He showed promise with a 6-58-1 line in Week 9 only to come crashing back to earth one week later, finishing with a five-yard catch and two drops on four targets in the Week 10 win over the New York Giants.
Needless to say, Zaccheaus was in dire need of a bounce-back outing against the Vikings. Instead, he was rarely anywhere to be found on the field, playing a season-low 10 offensive snaps, including just seven on passing downs. He wasn't even targeted once, showing that throwing his way never crossed quarterback Caleb Williams' mind once.
Although there's plenty of runway left in the NFL regular season, it's hard to see Zaccheaus being a long-term fixture in Chicago. His one-year contract is a "prove yourself" deal, and the only thing he's proving is that he isn't a good fit for the Bears. The fact that he's now had back-to-back duds further highlights that truth. There's just no reason to reward him with undeserved playing time, especially if it limits how often Burden is in the mix, and it won't be surprising if he isn't back in 2026.
If the Bears want Burden to live up to his draft-day potential, it's time to unleash him as the WR3 behind Rome Odunze and veteran DJ Moore moving forward. Learning on the job could be what kicks his career into the next gear. Meanwhile, Zaccheaus can fill in whenever one of the wideouts ahead of him needs a breather, hopefully rediscovering his groove so that he can contribute on a potential postseason run.
In the meantime, Bears fans will be excited to see how Burden will build off his latest effort in Week 12, when he faces a Pittsburgh Steelers secondary that is allowing an NFL-worst 269.4 passing yards per game as of Sunday afternoon.