Luther Burden III's spectacular performance masked a scare. The rookie receiver's clutch plays averted a potentially devastating injury, offering Bears fans immense relief.
The Chicago Bears were without Rome Odunze again on Sunday Night Football versus the San Francisco 49ers.
Odunze was ruled out with a foot injury that he aggravated after the 24-15 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13. He hasn't played since then, but is still second on the team with 661 receiving yards and has six touchdowns.
In his absence, the Bears have needed Luther Burden III and D.J. Moore to step up. Burden has been a great replacement, finishing with 84 receiving yards in the 31-3 win over the Cleveland Browns.
His best game of the year was no doubt against the 49ers, however. Burden caught eight passes for 138 receiving yards and one touchdown. His previous season high was against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3, when he finished with 101 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Burden was injured on the last play of the game. Caleb Williams tried to get the ball to Jahdae Walker, but came up short. The Bears lost 42-38 and are now 11-5.
To make things worse, Burden had to be carted off the field following the final play of the game. However, there was a silver lining in the locker room after the game.
Burden was able to answer questions in the locker room, which is a strong indicator that he avoided what appeared to be a significant injury on the field. The rookie receiver was asked how he was feeling and said he was exhausted.
"Shoot, I gave my all out there, bro," Burden said. "I'm tired as hell."
After his incredible performance on Sunday night, Burden now has 617 receiving yards and two touchdowns in his rookie season.
The Bears selected him in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he is looking like he should've been taken earlier on.
It was clear that the 49ers weren't going to let D.J. Moore get the ball. Moore finished with seven yards and one reception. Because of that, Burden was able to have himself quite the game.
Bears fans can all breathe a collective sigh of relief, as Burden seems to have dodged a big-time injury just before the playoffs.
After the loss, the Bears can no longer claim the No. 1 seed in the NFC. However, they can still end the regular season on a high note in their last game against the Detroit Lions.
The Bears and Lions kick off next Sunday at 3:25 p.m. CT on Fox.