Rookie receiver Luther Burden's availability for Week 16 is uncertain after an ankle injury. Bears coach Ben Johnson provides a day-to-day update ahead of a crucial Packers matchup.
The Chicago Bears may have struck gold again with one of their draft picks at receiver.
Luther Burden III was selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Missouri. He accounted for 2,263 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns in college.
Burden is making strides as a rookie, as his usage in head coach Ben Johnson's offense continues to grow throughout the season. In his most recent game against the Cleveland Browns, Burden finished with six receptions for 84 yards in the 31-3 win.
Sadly, his day ended early after he left the game with an ankle injury. He had to be carted off the field.
At Monday's press conference, head coach Ben Johnson shared an update on Burden heading into the second meeting with the Green Bay Packers. Johnson revealed that Burden is listed as day-to-day, meaning that his chances of playing on Saturday will depend on whether he can practice later in the week.
Burden has accounted for 479 receiving yards and one touchdown as a rookie thus far. His best game of the season came against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3, where he finished with 101 receiving yards and one touchdown, scoring on that flea flicker strike from Caleb Williams.
The importance of players like Burden stepping up can't be overstated, especially with Rome Odunze out with a foot injury.
Odunze was supposed to play in Sunday's game versus the Browns and was even active for the contest, but he suffered a setback in pregame warmups and was ruled out just before kickoff.
Luckily, D.J. Moore proved he can be a suitable replacement for Odunze as well. Moore had 69 receiving yards and two touchdowns, one of which was an insane off-balance throw made by Williams.
After a re-shuffling of the top seeds in the NFC, the Bears are now the No. 2 seed. The Green Bay Packers lost 34-26 to the Denver Broncos, giving the NFC North division lead and No. 2 seed back to the Bears.
Burden may be needed again if Odunze's foot injury isn't healed in time for Saturday. Odunze has led the Bears in receiving yards this season with 661 and also has six touchdowns.
The Bears and Packers meet for the second time this season on Saturday at Soldier Field. The game will have significant playoff implications and kick off at 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC.