Caleb Williams and Luther Burden III teamed up to produce the top offensive highlight in Thursday's minicamp practice, connecting on a long pass in an 11-on-11 drill.
The Bears quarterback lofted the ball to the second-year receiver, who reached out to snag it before being ruled down at the 5. The catch was reminiscent of Burden's 65-yard touchdown on a flea flicker last season in a win over the Cowboys.
"He did a great job," Williams said. "He dove down, lost the safety and had a guy on his hip. [I] just put it over the top best that I could and [gave] him the best shot. As long as you do that, you know he's going to make a play for you."
Burden made plenty of plays over the second half of his rookie season last year, displaying explosiveness and superb run-after-catch ability. The 2025 second-round pick from Missouri appears primed to build on that success in 2026.
"I'm buying Luther Burden stock right now, just how he's approached his offseason," coach Ben Johnson said May 29. "It's been electric."
Thomas turning heads
Burden wasn't the only receiver to excel in offseason practices. Rookie third-round pick Zavion Thomas regularly displayed blazing speed and natural catching ability.
"His hands are a lot better than [some fast receivers]," Williams said. "You see a lot of speedy guys that … sometimes catch with their body a little bit more or are shaky with their hands just because of how blessed they are with [speed].
"He's made some really, really tough catches. Even when he's messed up, it's positive. He really cares. He came in from practice [Wednesday] and he was frustrated with himself. It's important. Still encourage him, put a smile on his face.
"But when he's out there making plays, when he has the ball in his hands, when he's doing the right thing, he's pretty special. When the ball is even in the air, I'm really excited … If he can get the offense down, he can do his part, that side of it, I think he will be that special for years to come."
Leg to stand on
Kicker Cairo Santos also stood out in Thursday's practice, making 6 of 6 field-goal attempts, including booming kicks from 60 and 58 yards.
Center of attention
Williams has enjoyed working with new Bears center Garrett Bradbury. The seventh-year pro was acquired in March via a trade with the Patriots following Pro Bowler Drew Dalman's unexpected retirement.
"Love him; he's awesome," Williams said. "He's a vet, he's been with different quarterbacks. You can see it. You can tell. He got here and he soaked up the offense and was able to be a big factor of why I think this first half of OTAs and mandatory minicamp have been successful. I'm really excited about what we have coming this year and for him."
Sky's the limit
Veteran Montez Sweat was impressed with what he saw in offseason practices from fellow defensive end Austin Booker. Last season the 2024 fifth-round pick from Kansas registered 4.5 sacks after missing the first seven games with a knee injury.
"He's just scratching the surface," Sweat said. "He's shown a lot of flashes of the type of player he could be. He's still young and still learning the ins and outs of being a pro, but the sky's the limit for him."
All about winning
Sweat delivered a one-word answer when asked by a reporter to identify the biggest factor in the Bears' success last season.
"Ben," Sweat said, referring to the first coach in franchise history to win a postseason game in his first season. "I mean, he just worked the s--- out of us. We just were all on one accord. Everybody was on the same page, and everything was really about winning. If it wasn't about winning, then it was non-existent. We just know Ben is all about winning."
