Luther Burden III

The contrast between Luther Burden III and Kevin Byard III tells a powerful story. For Burden, it's his first taste of playoff football as a rookie, and he soaks in every moment with wide-eyed excitement, raw emotion and the hunger of someone chasing his first postseason breakthrough. On the other side of the ball is Byard, calm and commanding as he enters the playoffs for the sixth time in his career, his voice carrying the confidence and leadership of a seasoned veteran who's been through postseason battles before. Their mic'd up moments capture the blend of youthful energy and proven experience that define playoff football.

Luther Burden III is a dynamic playmaker whose game is defined by toughness, explosiveness and elite speed. Growing up in the streets of East St. Louis, Illinois, he developed a hardened edge and resilience that translate to the field. Burden is known for his rare ability to break tackles with strength and balance, turning routine plays into explosive gains, and his blazing speed allows him to pull away from defenders in an instant. A constant threat with the ball in his hands, he blends physicality, competitiveness and game-breaking athleticism.

Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III catches a short pass from quarterback Caleb Williams and jukes a defender for a 14-yard gain.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams locates wide receiver Luther Burden III for a 25-yard pickup.

Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III catches a short pass from quarterback Caleb Williams for a 24-yard gain.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams finds rookie receiver Luther Burden III in the back of the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown pass.

Luther Burden III catches the ball and makes a series of moves to pick up 14 yards.

Caleb Williams finds a wide open Luther Burden III, who runs after the catch for a 40-yard gain.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams delivers a dart to wide receiver Luther Burden III, who turns up the field to pick up 27 yards.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams delivers an 18-yard completion to receiver Luther Burden III.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams rolls to his right and delivers a completion to wide receiver Luther Burden III for a third-down conversion.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams' connects with wide receiver Luther Burden III for a 11-yard gain and a first down.

Receiver Luther Burden III's 19-yard pickup helps set the Bears up for Cairo Santos' field goal to close the first half.

Bears receiver Luther Burden III picks up 15 yards on a reverse.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams leads the two minute drill against the New York Giants with a 27-yard pass to wide receiver to Luther Burden III.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams dots a 37-yard ball to wide receiver Luther Burden III.

Watch rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III's highlights from the Bears' Week 3 win over the Cowboys, where he caught three passes for 101 yards, including a 65-yard touchdown.

Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, tight End Cole Kmet and wide receiver Luther Burden III meet with the media following Sunday's victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

The Bears go into their bag of tricks and break out the flea flicker, where quarterback Caleb Williams hits rookie receiver Luther Burden III for a 65-yard touchdown.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams connects with rookie receiver Luther Burden III for a 29-yard pickup.

Tight end Cole Kmet and wide receivers Luther Burden III and Olamide Zaccheaus meet with the media following Sunday's preseason win over the Bills.

Bears receiver Luther Burden III catches a 22-yard pass from quarterback Tyson Bagent.

Bears receiver Luther Burden III gains 21 yards on the throw from quarterback Tyson Bagent.

Tight end Colston Loveland, wide receiver Luther Burden III and running back Ian Wheeler meet with the media following Sunday's game against the Dolphins.

Bears rookie receiver Luther Burden III makes his first catch of the 2025 NFL preseason, a 16-yard gain that results in a first down.

The emergence of the Bears' top two draft picks, tight end Colston Loveland and receiver Luther Burden III, has helped fuel an offense that ranks in the top 10 in the NFL in scoring and total yards.

In a playoff atmosphere Sunday night at Levi's Stadium, the Bears' top two 2025 draft picks – receiver Luther Burden III and tight end Colston Loveland – rose to the occasion, combining for 232 yards of offense and two touchdowns. 

The Bears will battle Green Bay for first place in the NFC North Saturday night at Soldier Field without two of their top three receivers in Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III.

After playing a season-high 33 snaps against the Giants and responding with three receptions for 51 yards, Bears rookie Luther Burden III could see even more targets in the future.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, receiver Luther Burden III, running back D'Andre Swift and left tackle Braxton Jones break down the Bears' 65-yard flea flicker touchdown in Sunday's 31-14 victory over the Cowboys.

Writer Gabby Hajduk details six reserves who stood out Sunday night during the Bears' 38-0 preseason win over the Buffalo Bills.

Senior writer Larry Mayer identifies four players on offense and four on defense to monitor in Sunday's preseason opener against the Dolphins.

Quarterback Caleb Williams and rookie receiver Luther Burden III were among the players who excelled Thursday in what was the Bears' longest practice of training camp.

The Chicago Bears on Saturday signed all three of the club's second-round selections from the 2025 NFL Draft – wide receiver Luther Burden III, offensive lineman Ozzy Trapilo and defensive lineman Shemar Turner.

Bears second-round pick Luther Burden III was a two-time first-team All-SEC selection at Missouri who has prioritized giving back to the places where he grew up.

Writer Gabby Hajduk previews a receiver group that features veteran DJ Moore and 2024 first-round pick Rome Odunze as well as a handful of new faces.

Senior writer Larry Mayer identifies 10 things that stood out on the first day of Bears rookie minicamp, including the energy that first-year coach Ben Johnson brought to the practice field.

Wide receiver Luther Burden III, the No. 39 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, talks with ChicagoBears.com about his hidden talent, what his two french bulldogs mean to him, his favorite college memory at Missouri and more. 

The Bears spent five of their eight picks in last week's draft on offensive players. First-year offensive coordinator Declan Doyle recently shared his thoughts about those prospects exclusively with ChicagoBears.com.

Bears second round picks receiver Luther Burden III (No. 39), offensive lineman Ozzy Trapilo (No. 56) and defensive lineman Shemar Turner (No. 62) met with the media at Halas for their introductory press conferences.

Receiver Luther Burden III possess the ability to line up all over the field as well as a passion for football, which was on display Friday morning when he headed to Missouri's practice facility to work out just hours after Round 1 of the NFL Draft concluded.

The Chicago Bears selected University of Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III with the No. 39 overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.