Bears Mailbag: Has Luther Burden III Taken the WR1 Role From Rome Odunze?

If you were to ask random Bears fans about who is Chicago's No. 1 wide receiver right now, I'm willing to bet there will be a variety of answers. 

Obviously the two candidates are Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III. 

With how last season went for the two receivers, it wouldn't be surprising if people chose Burden. 

Let's discuss this topic in today's mailbag. 

Luther Burden becoming WR1 & not Rome? -- @Mybears2

That appears to be the perception, especially if you go on social media. It's not that people are overly discouraged about Odunze. More so, people are just really excited about Burden's potential this season and moving forward. 

You can't blame them either. 

The former No. 39 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft finished with 47 receptions for 652 yards and two touchdowns. He was was fourth on the team in receiving yards, nine yards shy of Odunze. 

However, the advanced receiving metrics showed how efficient and productive Burden was for Caleb Williams last season. In the specific stats mentioned in the tweet below, Burden was No. 1 among wide receivers and tight ends on the Bears. 

Of course there are other stats that weren't mentioned but highlight Odunze's effectiveness even in a down year. His total air yards vs. average separation is a good example. 

But Odunze missing time because of a stress fracture in his foot derailed a promising season for the Bears' wide receiver. He started 2025 with five touchdowns through the first four weeks, but his production diminished after the injury. 

He ended with 44 catches, 661 yards and six touchdowns. Odunze also had some bad drops, finishing with five, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). One that didn't count as a drop, but it should've, was this play against the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round. 

When you add all that together, it makes sense why Burden has received a bulk of the hype going into the 2026 season. 

But I'm here to remind everyone that Odunze, 24, is still a talented wide receiver. Someone who the Bears drafted with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Someone who was about to put together a breakout second season before the stress fracture occurred in late October. 

Even though Odunze said that he will have to adjust to his "new normal" with his foot, coach Ben Johnson doesn't believe there are any concerns moving forward.

“No, that's nothing new to me," Johnson said last week during mandatory minicamp. "He's out there, he says he feels great. He looks good to me. We go back and forth with the coaching staff and he looks like the same old Rome. So I think we're in good shape.”

The Bears are in good shape with Odunze and Burden as the leading receivers on the team. Both will have another year in Johnson's system, allowing the pass catchers to become even more dangerous weapons for Williams this season. 

Does it really matter who WR1 is if both receivers are producing and helping the Bears win games? Probably not. 

If anything, having two talented wide receivers makes it more difficult for opposing defensive coordinators. Williams and Johnson will gladly take that situation and so should Bears fans.