Ryan Poles is not hiding how much he likes what he’s seeing from Luther Burden.
After Ben Johnson already pointed to a big year for the second-year receiver during OTAs, the Bears general manager doubled down as training camp approached, making it clear Burden has caught his attention in a major way.
Poles said one of the biggest things that stood out to him was Burden’s summer work, especially the way he kept reaching out to quarterbacks to get extra reps. He said Burden was texting quarterbacks all summer, trying to find someone to throw to him every day.
That kind of detail matters because the Bears still have real questions about who will emerge as the top pass catcher. Colston Loveland was the biggest breakout from last season. He is the former top ten pick, and he is entering his second NFL.
Rome Odunze is in the mix too. He was also a former top ten pick and is heading into his third NFL season, which carries added weight with contract discussions looming after this year.
Even with those names in the conversation, Burden is the one drawing the strongest praise from the people in charge.
Ryan Poles: "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. I mean, I heard he was just texting and calling these quarterbacks just looking for an arm to throw to him every day of…
That buzz has naturally sparked comparisons to how the Bears offense could be shaped if it follows a Detroit Lions-style blueprint. In that setup, Loveland would fit the Sam LaPorta role. Both had strong rookie seasons, though LaPorta plateaued in his second year.
Odunze would line up more like Jameson Williams, a player who can hit big plays in bursts but can also disappear for stretches.
Burden, then, would be the closest thing to Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Both work from the slot, both can move around the formation, and both can be used in the backfield or outside to get the ball in space. Both also bring that same passionate edge.
Neither Burden nor St. Brown was a first-round pick.
St. Brown had a strong season before blowing up into one of the NFL’s best pass catchers in his second year.
That’s the leap everyone is watching for with Burden now. The Bears are not pumping the brakes on the hype, and their confidence in him is showing.
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