The Chicago Bears watched second-year player Rome Odunze ascend to the role of No. 1 wide receiver last season, surpassing the now-traded DJ Moore. But Odunze could lose that crown as early as this year, according to reserve quarterback Case Keenum.
During an interview last week on “In Good Company with Mitch Morse,” Keenum predicted that Luther Burden III will have a breakout campaign in 2026, just one year after Chicago selected him with the No. 39 overall pick in the second round of the NFL draft.
“I think [Burden] is going to have a breakout year,” Keenum said. “We saw some flashes of it, man. He wasn’t all the way healthy during the spring. Having a good offseason, I’m excited to see what he looks like coming back here in OTAs.”
“There’s only been a certain few guys, receiver-wise, that I have seen a look in their eye, and I’ve gone over to the play-caller and been like, ‘Get this dude the ball.’ And he’s one of them,” Keenum continued. “He’s got a little bit of that dog in him, or whatever you want to call it.”
Luther Burden III Was Bears’ Top Wide Receiver in All Advanced Metrics During Rookie Campaign
GettyWide receiver Luther Burden III of the Chicago Bears.
Burden, who will function a good amount in the slot in Chicago’s offense next season, came on strong at the end of last year with regards to traditional statistics.
Across 15 games played, Burden tallied 47 receptions on 60 targets for 652 receiving yards and two TDs. He also carried the football six times for 37 yards.
However, Burden was an analytics darling. He ranked 18th out of 81 receivers who saw enough snaps to qualify in 2025, per Pro Football Focus.
Burden put up nearly 14 yards per reception, including an average of 7.3 yards after the catch on each completion. Quarterback Caleb Williams posted a passer rating of 123.1 when targeting Burden last season, and that included five drops on the WR’s part, which he is liable to improve upon at a considerably higher volume of targets in 2026.
Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis noted as part of an X post in March that Burden “ranked #1 on the Bears in EVERY. SINGLE. METRIC.”
Ben Johnson to Make Luther Burden III Focal Point of Bears’ Offense Next Season
GettyChicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson.
Burden’s production as a rookie vibes with Keenum’s prediction that the wideout is poised for a breakout campaign in 2026. Meanwhile, head coach Ben Johnson has stated specifically this offseason that he intends to make Burden a more considerable part of the offense next year.
“He is a dynamic playmaker. He’s got some of the best run after catch in the game right now,” Johnson said in late March, per CHGO. “We need to continue to get the ball in his hands as often as we possibly can.”
Another player Johnson is high on is tight end Colston Loveland, the No. 10 overall pick in last year’s draft who hauled in 58 catches for 713 yards and six TDs as a rookie.
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