The Chicago Bears may have dodged a big bullet with rookie wideout Luther Burden III. The first-year pro had to be carted off the field in the final play of the 38-42 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but, according to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, the injury isn't believed to be serious.
"Bears WR Luther Burden, who was carted off the field after Sunday night’s game, suffered a quad injury that is not thought to be serious. He will undergo additional testing today," Schefter reported on Monday morning.
Nevertheless, that doesn't mean the Bears are in the clear. If anything, this couldn't have happened at a worse possible time, as head coach Ben Johnson's team should still play to win in the regular-season finale to secure the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
Luther Burden's Injury Puts Bears Against the Wall
The Detroit Lions won't play for anything but pride in Week 18. That being said, Lions HC Dan Campbell will pull no punches against his former offensive coordinator, and he's not the type of coach who's going to waive the white flag and think about draft positioning.
That's why, even though the Bears should probably err on the side of caution and have Burden miss the game so he can be healthy for the playoffs, they might not be able to afford that. The difference between a win and a loss on Sunday might be squaring off vs. the Green Bay Packers or the Los Angeles Rams.
Of course, that's not to say that the Packers are an easy opponent, but they're a familiar one. Chicago also just picked up a 22-16 overtime win against Green Bay in Week 16. More than that, the Packers are banged up, and they don't have Sean McVay calling the shots and NFL MVP candidate Matthew Stafford pulling the strings of the offense.
The Bears have also been without second-year pro Rome Odunze, and Burden has taken a big step forward in his absence. He had his best game yet with eight receptions for 138 yards (both career highs) and a touchdown in the loss to the Niners, all while veteran WR DJ Moore was nowhere to be found.
The second-round pick out of Missouri has eight catches for 289 yards and a TD in his past three games alone. He's up to 44 receptions for 617 yards and two scores this season, and his chemistry with quarterback Caleb Williams continues to grow by the day.
The Bears can always rely on their running back one-two punch, while the likes of Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland, and Olamide Zaccheaus can help hold down the fort in the regular-season finale. Although sitting Burden in a massive game wouldn't be an easy decision, it might be the right one for Chicago in the long run.