If fantasy footballers are seeking a little insider trading in May, they need not look further than the Chicago Bears head coach.
Ben Johnson sang the praises of Luther Burden III on Thursday, giving credence to a potential second-year breakout for the wide receiver.
"I'm buying Luther Burden stock right now, just how he's approached his offseason," Johnson said. "It's been electric. He showed up yesterday, had numerous explosive plays. I loved how in Phase 2 he was finishing every single rep that he took, and that really translated over to yesterday as well. So, he's in a really good spot. He's still developing and growing his route tree. … He's been extremely coachable, so I'm really happy with him."
Burden, the 39th-overall pick by Chicago in the 2025 NFL Draft, was impactful as a rookie but took time to get going -- both due to still getting acclimated and starting off third in the receiver pecking order behind Rome Odunze and DJ Moore.
He finished with 47 receptions, 652 yards and two touchdowns. The respectable output came despite being held to a single catch in four of his first seven NFL games. Through his first 10 contests, he reached four receptions just once; in his final five regular-season outings, he hit the mark or bettered it on four occasions.
There's a multitude of reasons to share Johnson's belief in Burden taking the next step in 2026. Moore, who seemed increasingly phased out of the Bears offense, dropping to 50 receptions after hauling in 90-plus the previous two seasons, was traded to the Buffalo Bills. His departure slots Burden in as the other main guy next to Odunze.
His metrics are also promising. Burden generated 2.7 yards per route run in 2025, the second-most by a rookie since 2016 and third in the league, behind the Los Angeles Rams' Puka Nacua (3.9) and the Seattle Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba (3.7), per Next Gen Stats. His 7.4 yards after the catch per reception ranked fourth among wide receivers with at last 25 catches. Burden also showed quick chemistry with quarterback Caleb Williams that should only grow, as he paced his squad with a 78.3% catch rate.
Burden must sustain his efficiency when afforded an increased workload moving forward, but he managed to capitalize on his early opportunities as the most inexperienced pass catcher he'll ever be. With a year to build on, the game will slow down, something Johnson has already taken note of during the offseason program.
"He looks like he's playing at a different speed right now," Johnson said. "You knew he had it in him -- he's a 4.4 guy -- and yet those time speeds don't always translate to real speed, football speed, the game tape. I think we're starting to see that now. He's not thinking as much. He knows what we're trying to do. So you kind of see that with a number of these guys as I alluded to before that have been here for a little bit of time now -- the game's slowing for them and it allows their abilities to come out."
Plus, with a firmer footing in the game, Burden is starting to expand his route tree, according to Johnson, providing more ways to exploit defenses and do damage.
It's easy to project great things upon budding stars in May, but for right now, the Burden hype train seems to be rightfully chugging along.