Welcome to the 2026 Chicago Bears Season Preview on Bears By 7, a player-by-player look at the team's roster and their chances.

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Luther Burden’s rookie season didn’t have the best start. A hamstring injury prevented him from participating in OTAs and he also missed the first several days of training camp.

Once he was on the practice field, Burden found there was a learning curve in the NFL, particularly in a Ben Johnson-led offense. Several miscues during public practices made headlines and sparked conversation among fans and media.

But before long, Burden was also garnering plenty of praise as he showed off his route running skills and made several great catches on the Halas Hall practice fields.

It all was an appropriate precursor to a rookie season that saw Burden start slow and then raise the bar as it went on. The 39th overall pick out of Missouri caught 47 passes for 652 yards and two touchdowns while putting together one of the most efficient rookie WR seasons in recent memory.

Burden’s 2.68 yards per route run ranked third — yes, third — in the entire NFL among all qualified receivers, behind only Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Meanwhile, his 7.2 yards after the catch per reception ranked fourth among receivers with at least 25 catches.

Burden’s raw counting stats were somewhat limited because he was third in the Bears’ target pecking order behind Rome Odunze and DJ Moore. He was also only on the field for 40 percent of the team’s offensive snaps.

But his Week 17 performance against the 49ers was a preview of what happens if Burden gets fed. In that game, Burden caught eight of his nine targets for 138 yards and a touchdown in a playoff-type atmosphere on the road.

Though the Bears lost in the final moments, it was a performance that will keep many a defensive coordinator up at night as Burden heads into his second NFL season.

If you’re trying to be Luther Burden’s No. 1 fan this year, just know you have plenty of competition in much higher positions.

"I'm buying Luther Burden stock right now," Ben Johnson said during the team’s OTAs. "He looks like he is moving at a different speed right now. He is not thinking as much. The game is slowing down for him."

Johnson’s quote on Burden was widely circulated because when a head coach goes out of his way to hype a player several months before the season, it’s generally wise to pay attention.

Burden’s opportunity his sophomore season is enormous. With DJ Moore off to Buffalo and Olamide Zaccheaus now a Falcon, Burden has a real chance to capitalize on all that volume … and then some.