The following is the third of nine position reviews from the Bears' 2025 season.
The Bears joined the Chargers as the only NFL teams to have three receivers amass at least 600 yards apiece in 2025: veteran DJ Moore (682), second-year pro Rome Odunze (661) and rookie second-round pick Luther Burden III (652).
Moore also led the group with 50 receptions and tied with Odunze for the most touchdowns among Bears wideouts with six. Moore started all 17 games for the fifth straight season, two with the Panthers and the last three with the Bears.
"What stood out about DJ this year is the level of toughness rubbed off on our team," general manager Ryan Poles said in his end-of-season press conference. "Guys, if they were dinged up, they almost had to go because DJ was going. He was able to fight through a lot. Got a lot of respect for him."
Moore made two of the most significant TD catches in modern Bears history in a three-week span late in the year, beating the rival Packers in a pivotal regular-season game Dec. 20 and again in a wild card playoff showdown Jan. 10, both at Soldier Field.
The Bears trailed their first-place battle with Green Bay 16-6 before scoring 10 points in the final 1:59 of regulation and then winning 22-16 in overtime on Caleb Williams' 46-yard touchdown pass to Moore. The veteran receiver hauled in the perfectly thrown ball despite being blanketed by cornerback Keisean Nixon.
The play was named the 2025 Next Gen Stats Moment of the Year at NFL Honors and the Bears' No. 1 play of the season by ChicagoBears.com.
In the wild card game against Green Bay, the Bears rallied from deficits of 21-3 at halftime and 21-6 entering the fourth quarter to stun the Packers 31-27. Williams and Moore again connected for the winning TD pass, a 25-yarder with 1:43 to play.
Odunze had a strong start to the year before being hampered by a foot injury. He became the first Bears player to score a touchdown in each of the first four games of a season since Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton in 1986 and was the only NFL player to have a TD reception in each of the first four games in 2025.
"He's a pro," coach Ben Johnson said of Odunze early in the season. "He comes into the building, and he looks to get after work, and he's taken to that receiver room. Those guys really all mesh well together. It's the hard work mentality … I see him as a leader here on this team."
Odunze missed the final five regular-season games before returning for the playoffs, catching two passes for 44 yards against the Packers and recording an identical stat line a week later in the Divisional Round versus the Rams.
One of his catches in the wild card win over Green Bay was one of the most important plays of the season. Trailing 27-16 with just over five minutes remaining and the Bears facing fourth-and-8 from their own 43, Odunze caught a 27-yard pass from Williams in traffic, sustaining the drive and keeping his team's hopes alive.
Burden blossomed into a key contributor over the second half of his rookie season, regularly displaying big-play ability and excellent run-after-catch skills. After averaging 1.9 receptions for 24.4 yards in his first seven games, he averaged 4.3 catches for 60.1 yards in his final eight regular-season contests.
In November, Johnson spoke about Burden's workload increasing, saying: "It's a trust level between the coaches and the player. It's a trust level between the quarterback and a receiver. It continues to ascend. He's been very productive when we've been able to get the ball in his hands, and there's a strong argument that we should get it to him more."
Burden's most productive game came Dec. 28 in San Francisco when he established career highs with eight receptions and 138 yards, including a 35-yard TD.
In his first season with the Bears and seventh in the NFL, Olamide Zaccheaus caught 39 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns. His best outing came Nov. 2 in Cincinnati when he set season highs with six receptions and 58 yards, including a 15-yard TD in a 47-42 win over the Bengals.
Undrafted rookie Jahdae Walker made the most of limited opportunities. He recorded his first two NFL catches in the Bears' Dec. 20 win over the Packers, including a 6-yard TD on fourth-and-4 with :24 left in regulation to force overtime. The 6-3, 206-pounder finished the season with six receptions for 87 yards and two TDs.
"You're intrigued when you acquire him by the size and speed combination," Johnson said during the season. "He ended up being mentally really, really sharp. He's able to pick up the offense quicker than I think some rookies do. That's encouraging … He's got a really high ceiling, and he's got a chance to develop into an excellent receiver and be a meaningful player for a long time."
Veteran receiver Devin Duvernay contributed primarily on special teams, averaging 26.7 yards on 40 kickoff returns and 11.0 yards on 22 punt returns. His longest kickoff return of the season, a 56-yarder Nov. 16 in Minnesota, came late in the game and set up Cairo Santos' 48-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Bears a 19-17 victory.
