Buzz builds for Bears' Luther Burden, even as 2nd-year WR leaps have proven tricky
<p>The most important people inside Halas Hall have been lining up to declare how successful <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears" target="_blank" >Bears </a>receiver Luther Burden will be in his second year.</p><p>“He’s the truth,” tight end Colston Loveland said in May.</p><p>“I’m buying Luther Burden stock right now,” coach Ben Johnson said in June.</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears/2026/07/28/bears-ben-johnson-ryan-poles-caleb-williams-training-camp-halas-hall-2026" target="_blank" >Earlier this week</a>, general manager Ryan Poles added to the shot-calling symphony.</p><p>“We’ve got to go play games and he’s got to finish this thing off ,” Poles said. “But if there’s a guy that I’m really excited about, it’s Luther Burden — just because of how much he’s grown from the day he walked in this building.”</p><p>A year ago at this time, the concerns outweighed the optimism.
Reported by 1 outlet — Chicago Sun-Times. See all sources ↓
Luther Burden is a wide receiver for the Chicago Bears entering his second NFL season. Bears players and coaches have praised him, calling him "the truth" and saying they are buying his stock. General manager Ryan Poles also added positive comments about Burden earlier this week. Despite the excitement, history shows that big jumps in performance from a receiver's first to second year are often difficult.
Why it matters
Fans want to know if Burden can become a reliable target for quarterback Caleb Williams, which could improve the Bears' offense and affect game outcomes.
- Who is Luther Burden?
- He is a wide receiver for the Chicago Bears in his second NFL season.
- What did Bears coach Ben Johnson say about Burden?
- He said he is "buying Luther Burden stock," showing strong confidence.
- Why might Burden's second-year leap be tricky?
- Historically, many wide receivers struggle to make a big improvement from their first to second year.
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Buzz builds for Bears' Luther Burden, even as 2nd-year WR leaps have proven tricky
Sources1TypeCoverageChicago Sun-Times