The Chicago Bears have already clinched their playoff spot, but are still fighting for seeding in the NFC race. With a Sunday Night Football battle against the San Francisco 49ers on the docket in Week 17, the Bears will be getting some reinforcements in the receiver room.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported on Friday that receiver Luther Burden III was a full participant in practice and doesn't have an injury designation. With him expected to be back in the fold, the snaps among receivers will change, and that will negatively impact Jahdae Walker.
Jahdae Walker Could Lose Snaps with Luther Burden III Returning in Week 17
In the win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 16, Walker reeled in a 6-yard touchdown grab from Caleb Williams with 24 seconds left to send the game to overtime. Since the Bears were down both Burden and Rome Odunze, Walker played in a season-high 17 snaps. He managed to secure two catches (three targets) for 21 receiving yards.
Those were career highs all across the board, but with Burden back in the rotation, Walker is likely to use reps. D.J. Moore, Olamide Zaccheaus, and the aforementioned Burden are all ahead of Walker in terms of the depth chart.
Before tweaking his ankle in Week 15, Burden played in 50% or more of the team's snaps from Week 12 to 14. As the season has gone on, he has seen his volume increase in the last few games.
Luther Burden's Targets | Luther Burden's Receptions | Luther Burden's Receiving Yards |
|---|---|---|
Week 11: 3 | Week 11: 5 | Week 11: 27 |
Week 12: 3 | Week 12: 5 | Week 12: 46 |
Week 13: 4 | Week 13: 6 | Week 13: 33 |
Week 14: 4 | Week 14: 6 | Week 14: 67 |
Week 15: 6 | Week 15: 7 | Week 15: 84 |
These numbers suggest that Burden is building trust with Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams, which is leading to him getting more looks on offense. Considering that he's become a focal point of the passing attack, they'll look to get him incorporated with the playoffs right around the corner.
And that means that Walker is likely the player who will see his snaps get slashed in this outing. It doesn't help that Moore is coming off his best performance of the season, where he notched five catches for 97 receiving yards and the game-winning touchdown grab.
The Bears still have plenty of things to play for. And that means they'll play their best players to help secure two wins to round out the season. Week 16 showed that Walker can step up when needed, but it shouldn't be something that's expected.
Burden's return is great news for the Bears' offense, but in terms of Walker, it spells bad news for the 23-year-old rookie.