Getty
Wide receiver Luther Burden III of the Chicago Bears.
The Chicago Bears have a handful of promising pass-catchers, but one player is poised for a breakout season that will top the rest of his teammates in 2026.
Chicago traded wideout DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills this offseason, moving Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III into top roles in their third and second NFL campaigns, respectively. Tight end and top-10 pick Colston Loveland had a monster season in 2025, though it is Burden that league analysts believe will be the breakout star next season.
Jacob Infante of WCG and PFSN predicted on Friday, May 15 that Burden is going to become the No. 1 target in the Bears’ pass game in 2026.
I’m buying all the Luther Burden III stocks in 2026. He was on a 1,000-yard pace in the second half of the season, and you really saw him come into his own as a route runner for the #Bears.
His comfortability with route depth and tempo variance improved as the year came along. Paired with his elite [yards after catch] ability, that’s a dangerous combo to stop.
With DJ Moore gone, there’s a clear opportunity to pick up those touches. Burden will have another year to work within the system; I’m stoked to see what he does. Think he ends up as WR1.
GettyWide receiver Luther Burden III of the Chicago Bears.
Burden’s traditional statistics don’t necessarily indicate that he is going to have a breakout sophomore campaign in the NFL.
He finished last season with 47 catches for 652 yards and two scores. However, his advanced metrics were off the charts in 2025.
“Luther Burden’s stats last year among Bears WRs/TEs:
He ranked #1 on the Bears in EVERY. SINGLE. METRIC,” Sharp wrote.
GettyLeft tackle Ozzy Trapilo of the Chicago Bears.
Whether Burden becomes the top target in the pass game in Chicago next season or not, his contributions are probably going to be even more crucial in 2026 than they were in 2025.
The reason is that the Bears offense transformed itself in the run game, vaulting to third in the league on the ground in head coach Ben Johnson’s first year. However, the transformation of the offensive line from one season to the next was critical in that regard, and Chicago is likely to take a step back there this offseason.
Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman retired unexpectedly, while rookie left tackle Ozzy Trapilo sustained a torn patellar tendon in Round 1 of the playoffs against the Green Bay Packers and will miss most of the upcoming campaign.
Chicago has to replace two starting offensive linemen and is attempting to do so by bringing in two former first-round picks in center Garret Bradbury and Jedrick Wills Jr. who never lived up to their respective draft positions.
The Bears also paid Braxton Jones to come back on a one-year deal at LT after losing his starting job early in 2025. Chicago drafted Logan Jones out of Iowa in Round 2 as a longterm fit at the center position, though whether he will be ready to roll as a starter in his rookie campaign remains a major question.
Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group's family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible
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