Luther Burden needs to play with Caleb Williams against the Chiefs on Friday night

The Chicago Bears will wrap up their 2025 preseason on Friday night when they travel to Kansas City to play the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. There will be quite a bit of anticipation heading into the final preseason exhibition because both Kansas City and Chicago will have their starters play, which is a rarity for the final contest before the regular season starts. Fans and media will be focused on Bears’ quarterback Caleb Williams to see if he can have another stellar performance, but it may be in the team’s best interest for their second-year signal caller to work with their rookie wide receiver who also has been performing well.

Luther Burden and the offense have played well in the preseason despite not playing together as a whole

Bears’ rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III has been one of the more intriguing players during training camp and preseason, as he impressed in several different areas on the field. When general manager Ryan Poles drafted the Missouri pass-catcher with the 39th overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, scouting experts believed that the team had landed a steal of draft due the immense potential that the collegiate prospect possessed. Many talent evaluators believed that Burden was a first-round talent if not for questions about his character and dedication to put him hard work.

With the Bears needing a wide receiver in the draft, many were surprised that Poles and the franchise decided to take Luther Burden, not because the two weren’t a match for one another, but because draft analysts believed the team would address the position with a mid-round selection. Burden being added to Ben Johnson’s new offensive scheme made total sense, as Chicago’s offense lacked a reliable receiver capable of playing the slot position and being a deep threat too. Paired with fellow rookie Colston Loveland, Poles gave Williams a full complement of wide receivers and tight ends to work with.

During the offseason and training camp, Burden was hampered by a soft tissue injury which greatly affected his ability to work with Williams and the starting offense. Due to the slow ramp up period, this has been the reason why Luther Burden has been playing prominently with the second-string offense and catching passing from backup quarterback Tyson Bagent during the preseason. Despite having to deal with the time lost recovering from the injury, the rookie wide receiver looks like he fully understands Johnson’s new offensive scheme.

The excitement for that full complement of pass-catchers has grown over the team’s first two preseason games as Luther Burden has stood out in both contests, while Williams and the other offensive starters had a near perfect touchdown drive against the Bills this past Sunday night. Although Burden impressed with several nifty receptions, including several open-field moves after his catches, it was his run blocking that really surprised fans and analysts. The rookie wide receiver had several key run-blocks on touchdown scoring runs in goal-line situations, as receivers being able to assist in blocking on run plays has been a significant point of emphasis for Johnson’s new offense.

Now with one more exhibition left before the regular season and the Bears’ offensive starters likely to play three series against the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday, it is in Johnson’s best interest to have Williams and Luther Burden connect a few times if possible. Burden being targeted by Chicago’s starting quarterback can allow for the two to build chemistry and timing before the first game of the regular season on September 8th against the Minnesota Vikings. Whether be a short route from the slot or a deep pass lined up out wide, the Bears’ rookie receiver deserves to start getting live game reps and potential receptions with Williams at quarterback.

Additionally, from a play-design and scouting standpoint, it is Johnsons’ best interest to begin and incorporate Luther Burden into the starting offense in the team’s final preseason game. On the touchdown drive against the Bills, Williams completed passes to five different pass-catchers, with three different players recording a catch of 19 yards or more. Imagine if Chicago’s starting quarterback can connect with Burden on an impactful play on Friday, which would then reinforce the belief that the Bears’ passing offense has a quantity of legitimate pass-catching threats.

Luther Burden’s presence in the starting offense can unlock so many different assets to the offensive scheme

Burden’s presence in the starting offense could be a massive one, as the opening touchdown drive was a glimpse into Johnson’s vision on offense, especially when it comes to passing the ball. Chicago’s new head coach will often deploy a two tight end set with Loveland and Cole Kmet, which could make defending the middle of the field almost impossible for opposing linebackers and safeties. With two impactful tight ends, it will also allow for Johnson to deploy a versatile receiver like Luther Burden in a variety of ways.

Having a versatile threat such as Burden, who can be a legitimate threat whether on downfield throws or run after catch on short routes, it allows Johnson to be that more creative with play-design. Having offensive drives with Luther Burden on the field with Williams, Kmet, or Loveland could really force opposing defenses pick their poison when it comes to how they want to defend either the middle of the field or the flats. Having the rookie wide receiver work with the starters on Friday begins the difficult process of having to develop gameplans on how to stop Chicago’s offense when that personnel is on field.

The importance of being able to get live reps before the regular season for Williams and Burden is vital given what happened last season. In 2024, Chicago’s rookie quarterback didn’t get a chance to fully work with perennial Pro bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen during the preseason due to Allen’s leg injury. When it came to the regular season, the two failed to connect early on as the accomplished pass-catcher really didn’t become a factor in the Bears’ offense until several games into the year. Luther Burden getting even a target or two from Williams against the Chiefs could help even a little bit with understanding each other’s timing on certain plays.   

Johnson’s offensive vision will come to fruition starting on September 8th and Luther Burden will be a part of that and likely seeing an expanding role as the 2025 season progresses. Although Burden has flashed during the preseason, it has been without catching or being on the same field as Williams and the rest of the starters. On Friday night, it is in the Bears’ best interest to start the process of integrating the rookie wide receiver into the offense, as the offense as a whole has a chance to be an explosive unit once the season begins in two weeks.