The Chicago Bears are going to be without wide receiver Luther Burden III for the entire preseason, which leaves them down a top wideout. Head coach Ben Johnson said he's hopeful Burden will be back in time for Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers, but there's no definitive return.
Burden suffered a groin injury, which can be tough for a receiver, or any offensive playmaker for that matter, especially one with his elusive skillset. He's a big loss for Chicago’s offense if he misses significant time.
With that said, the Bears offense won't be without playmakers if Burden is out of the lineup. There are plenty of weapons around to help them tread water while he is away. That starts with Rome Odunze, who's in line to be the team's top receiver.
Chicago selected Odunze with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft for that reason. He's had an up-and-down start to his career, but now is his time to shine. Odunze played extremely well to start the 2025 season, his second in the NFL, but a lingering foot injury sidelined him and impacted his play for the duration. If he can stay healthy for an entire season, the tools are there for him to be a 1,000-yard receiver with double-digit touchdowns.
Other receivers like Kalif Raymond, Zavion Thomas, and Jahdae Walker are also there to help support. Any one of them could break out alongside Odunze while Burden is out, making them even more dangerous when he returns.
Johnson, regardless of what heights the passing attack gets to, will rely heavily on the run game as well. He loved running the ball as the play-caller in Detroit, and he loved it in his first year in Chicago. Expect big things from D’Andre Swift again with great support from Kyle Monangai.
The true X-factor here is the tight end room. Colston Loveland looks like he may be a top-five player at the position, even though the training wheels didn’t come off until the second half of the 2025 season, and he then turned into a star. Cole Kmet is also a very good player who plays the position very differently. Kmet will accept any assignment given to him, while Loveland likes to line up and run routes like a true receiver on every play.
As good of a duo as Loveland and Kmet may be, there is a third name in the mix. The Bears selected Sam Roush in the 2026 NFL Draft because Johnson loves running 13-personnel. These type of plays may become commonplace if Burden misses extended time in the regular season.
Even if Burden can come back earlier than expected, with all of the weapons that Johnson has at his disposal, it may be wise to get him back to 100% health before letting him return. There is no reason to rush Burden back ahead of schedule at this point in time. They can get by without him if they need to. It isn’t ideal, but the pieces are there.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears have what they need to tread water while Luther Burden is out