How Bears rookie is rebounding after being pulled from recent practice

Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III. Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

How Bears rookie WR Luther Burden III is rebounding after being pulled from recent practice

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Jul 31, 2025 4:06 PM ET

Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III has proved he can take negative feedback.

Burden missed most of the offseason program due to a soft tissue injury. After being cleared, he struggled to learn the playbook early in training camp.

Bears rookie head coach Ben Johnson pulled the second-round pick during Tuesday's practice after misaligning on one snap. Instead of pouting, the 21-year-old wideout used it as a learning opportunity.

"I feel like I've got to know my stuff. [Johnson] holds everyone to a high standard here," Burden said Thursday, via ESPN's Courtney Cronin. "It's great for us, great for the team, and that's the standard here."

Luther Burden III got pulled from a rep by Ben Johnson (replaced by Olamide Zaccheaus) during Tuesday's practice because of a misalignment pre-snap. What did that moment teach him?

Burden: "I feel like I’ve got to know my stuff. [Johnson] holds everybody to a high standard here.…
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) July 31, 2025

Johnson said the rookie WR had a much better practice on Wednesday.

"The play speed stood out to me [on Wednesday]," the coach told the media before Thursday's practice. "I was really impressed with that. Still working on the alignment, the details, as you would expect for a young player, but the play speed jumped off the tape to us all yesterday."

Burden ran a 4.41 40-yard dash at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. The WR continued to showcase his speed on Thursday. He raced past cornerback Shaun Wade during a one-on-one drill, catching a touchdown pass from backup quarterback Tyson Bagent.

Overcoming his slow start is great for the Bears. Chicago selected the former Missouri star to be a weapon for starting QB Caleb Williams. In three seasons with the Tigers, Burden had 192 receptions for 2,263 yards and 21 TD catches.

Johnson, a former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, has a complicated offense, but it produces results. The Lions ranked No. 1 in the league in points scored (33.2) in 2024.

While it may be challenging to learn, Johnson doesn't view that as an excuse. During the first practice of training camp, he pulled the first-team offense after failing to line up correctly. The coach also said he did so because he was on a time crunch.

Johnson seems intense. However, if Burden and Co. continue to learn from the coach, it could help the Bears turn things around after a 5-12 season.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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