There was a bit of concern late in the summer when it came to Chicago Bears star receiver Luther Burden and whether or not the pass catcher would be ready for Week 1. Burden was held out of the preseason and the end of training camp with an injury that wasn't expected to linger in the first weeks of the season. Still, Burden is an incredibly important piece for the Bears and seeing the pass catcher prove his health was incredibly important ahead of the opening matchup with the Carolina Panthers.
247 Sports' Zack Pearson noted Burden's return to practice earlier this week, giving Chicago fans a needed sense of confidence in his Week 1 status. There are lofty expectations facing Burden as offseason comparisons to Amon-Ra St. Brown and the belief that Burden will become the primary receiver have left an understandable level of excitement.
Whether it proves to be Rome Odunze or Burden getting the bulk of the targets the point remains that Chicago appears to have its full group of pass-catching weapons to start the season. It is an incredible advantage for Ben Johnson's roster that will have far more league attention after last year's breakout run.
It will be interesting to watch early in the season how heavy of target load Burden is offered and what this looks like in comparison to Colston Loveland and Odunze. While Chicago has more than enough weapons to win early-season matchups without Burden having the full group healthy will give the franchise a better idea of who the primary pieces choose to be.
Bears appear poised to have complete group of weapons healthy for start of 2026 season
Burden finished last season with 652 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns on 47 receptions. It was just scratching the surface of the receiver's potential impact. Burden was in his rookie season while Caleb Williams was still adjusting to year one in Ben Johnson's offense. Add in the presenceof DJ Moore and less clarity around the receiver depth chart and it makes a great deal of sense why this season is expected to be a breakout one for Chicago.
Johnson is noted for taking advantage of rostered speed, and this along with Burden's route-running, explains why the fanbase is expecting a breakout run. Fans should expect fewer deep shots, but a higher sense of consistency as the Bears work to get Burden more consistently involved over the middle and taking advantage of his ability with the ball in his hands.
No question, any concerns about Burden's health have been eased and the Bears are ready for a Week 1 matchup that cannot get here soon enough.
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