Luther Burden III is wasting no time making his presence felt in the Bears-Packers rivalry.
The rookie receiver was already looking ahead to Green Bay almost as soon as Chicago finished off the New York Jets in Week 4, and he made it clear he’s not treating Sunday like just another game. Speaking to Chris Emma of The Score, Burden said, "What's done in the past doesn't matter. We're ready to get down there Sunday and come back home with a dub," and added, "We just want to beat them really bad and make them quit."
That’s about as blunt as it gets, and it fits the temperature of this matchup perfectly.
Burden has already left a mark on this rivalry once before. In last year’s trip to Green Bay in Week 14, one of the season’s most viral Bears-Packers moments came when Burden briefly put Keisean Nixon in a chokehold. The sequence started after Nixon came over to back up Carrington Valentine during a heated rep with Burden, and Burden wound up grabbing Nixon by the throat.
Now the two are set to cross paths again, and the edge Burden is carrying into the game is impossible to miss.
Nixon, though, has been one of Green Bay’s few bright spots early this season. In four starts, he hasn’t allowed a touchdown in coverage and is on pace to allow the lowest opposing quarterback rating of his career at 65.5. He also has three pass breakups and an interception.
Burden’s season has taken a little longer to build, though the Bears’ offense has spread the ball around and leaned heavily on the run early on. Through four weeks, he has 19 catches for 219 yards and a touchdown. Chicago, meanwhile, leads the league in rushing with 785 yards.
Last year against Green Bay, Burden had four catches for 67 yards in the first meeting. He missed the second game because of injury, then finished with three receptions for 42 yards in the playoff win over the Packers.
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Luther Burden III Just Added Real Heat To Bears Packers Week 5
Luther Burden III is making it clear the Bears are treating Week 5 like more than just another early-season game. The rookie wideout put the rivalry front and center this week, underscoring Chicagos eagerness to beat Green Bay and do it in convincing fashion, while the bigger backdrop only adds to the temperature around the matchup. Ben Johnson also brings some useful history into this one, with a strong track record against Packers coach Matt LaFleur, including a recent playoff win.
Chicago enters the week with reasons to feel better about where it sits than it has in past editions of this rivalry. The Packers have shown cracks along the offensive line, and the Bears own roster looks deeper and more stable, especially on defense. Burdens comments fit the moment well, because this is the kind of game where confidence, edge and a little extra bite can matter almost as much as the usual Xs and Os. [Read more 🡒]