The Chicago Bears concluded their 2025 season, where they finished with an 11-6 record, an NFC North title and their first playoff win in 15 years under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. And there’s no denying that the future is incredibly bright.
Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be counting down our 15 Most Impactful Bears from the 2025 season, which features plenty of young talent that made huge contributions in Chicago’s magical season. We’ll recap their 2025 season and look ahead to how they factor into 2026. There were plenty of top talent to highlight this season, which made for difficult decisions when narrowing the field to just 15 players and/or coaches.
We continue at No. 13 with a standout rookie in wide receiver Luther Burden III, whose full potential wasn’t realized or utilized in his first season. But, when he was involved, Burden showed that he could be a big-time playmaker for the Bears offense in the future.
The Basics
2025 stats
2025 recap
Luther Burden III wasn’t part of the plan heading into the pre-draft process, but he fell right into the waiting arms of Ben Johnson and the Bears at 39th overall. Now, Burden is looking like one of the biggest steals of the 2025 draft class after a modest but promising rookie season in Chicago. After suffering an injury during rookie minicamp that slowed him down, Burden immediately showcased his playmaking potential during training camp and preseason. But it came to fruition for the first time in Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys, where he caught all three targets for 101 yards and a touchdown, including a 65-yard flea-flicker touchdown from quarterback Caleb Williams. While there were a lot of mouths to feed on offense, Burden got an opportunity to step up with Rome Odunze being sidelined with a foot injury. Burden’s best game of the season came in a Week 17 shootout against the San Francisco 49ers, where he caught eight passes (on nine targets) for 138 yards and a score. While Burden’s impact wasn’t as big as his rookie counterpart Colston Loveland, it’s clear that Burden has the potential to be a breakout star in Year 2 in this Ben Johnson-led offense.
2026 outlook
The Bears offense will enter its second season in Ben Johnson’s scheme, which means a better understanding for their returning crop of characters. The only player whose future is in question at this point is receiver DJ Moore, whose $28.5 million salary cap hit could make him expendable. If that’s the case, it indicates Chicago’s confidence in their duo of young wideouts in Burden and Rome Odunze, along with tight ends Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet. Regardless of what happens with Moore, Burden is expected to be featured prominently in his second season after showcasing his amazing potential in the downfield passing game and his overall versatility and playmaking ability. There were times when Burden looked like he could develop into the Bears’ WR1, especially with Odunze struggling with drops and an injury down the line last season. Another offseason to work in Johnson’s offense and progress as a young player, Burden has the potential to be Chicago’s breakout player in 2026.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Most Impactful Bears of 2025: No. 13 Luther Burden III
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri and Brendan Sugrue, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
