Luther

Burden

Burden limped off the practice field a week ago and is expected to miss about a month with a groin injury. The injury isn’t considered serious and the hope is that he’ll be active for the Bears first regular season matchup against the Panthers in Week 1. Burden running on the field before the Bears first preseason game was a welcome sight for the organization and fantasy managers alike as the 22-year-old wide receiver appears to be progressing in his recovery.

It’s not the worst-case scenario, but fantasy managers were likely hoping for a better recovery timeline. The talented second-year player has consistently drawn rave reviews since spring practices. Bears coach Ben Johnson recently compared Burden’s dogged mindset to players he previously coached, including Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown and former Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry, noting Burden wants to be “the most conditioned player on the team, and one of the strongest receivers on the team.” Burden will undoubtedly do everything he can to be ready for Week 1, but treating him as questionable to play in the season opener is the prudent move for now. He remains a high-upside pick for 2026, albeit with more built-in risk. Keep it locked to Rotoworld for more updates on Burden’s status in the coming week.

Hopefully, we’ll get a clearer recovery timeline for Burden in the coming days, but it doesn’t sound like things were as bad as people initially feared after he was seen limping off the practice field on Saturday morning. The second-year receiver is expected to see a nice uptick in usage this season after having another year to work with Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams, and has an easier path to targets with DJ Moore now in Buffalo. We will be sure to check back in with any updates on his injury.

Burden got tangled with a defender and fell awkwardly during a one-on-one red zone drill at practice on Saturday. The 22-year-old wide receiver limped to the locker room slowly with a trainer. It’s unclear if Burden is dealing with a significant injury. We’ll continue to monitor the situation until more information is known.

Johnson’s endorsement is going to push Burden’s ADP up, and it’s not necessarily unreasonable to chase it. In early April, Johnson said he needs to get the ball in Burden’s hands “as often as we possibly can.” Continued praise from the head coach is always a good thing. Hopes are high for the second-year receiver, who posted an 8/138/1 receiving line in Week 17 fantasy championships. Burden is set to compete with TE Colston Loveland and WR Rome Odunze for targets, though, and it is unclear exactly where Burden sits in the target pecking order right now. Johnson adds that Burden has had an “electric” offseason, is consistently finishing his practice reps and has “been extremely coachable,” while refining his speed cuts, sharp breaks and releases. Hopefully, the positive reports continue to roll in for the talented, young playmaker.

Burden should be a big beneficiary of the DJ Moore trade. It’s hard to imagine that between his on-field metrics and the target vacuum that he won’t take a major step forward in 2026. The only question is how big that step can be with Colston Loveland and Rome Odunze also seemingly set for major target roles. Burden has a case to go in the top 75 picks and has the upside to crush that ADP.

Burden’s season got off to a slow start, but in his final four regular-season games, the rookie second-rounder went for 21-324-1 on 26 targets. Burden managed just 66 scoreless yards on six receptions this postseason, but was still targeted 14 times in those two games. Burden showed enough flashes to warrant a larger role next season. How the Bears work him into that role will be determined in the offseason. His late-season emergence makes Burden an early breakout candidate for the 2026 season as does his 0.258 targets per route run over this final four regular season games and two postseason games.

Burden erupted a week ago for an 8-138-1 line in a game also played without Rome Odunze, so this result was a bit of a disappointment. Either way, Burden’s rookie regular season comes to an end with top-five per-target efficiency as the team prepares to host the Packers in the Wild Card round as the NFC’s No. 2 seed.

Burden’s injury caused a scare last week, but the exciting rookie missed only half a practice on Wednesday. He practiced full on Thursday and Friday and should be ready to roll against the Lions. The Bears (11-5) currently hold the NFC’s No. 2 playoff seed. They can secure their position with a win. Should they lose, and the Eagles (11-5) beat the Commanders (4-12), the Bears would slip to the No. 3 seed. Burden is a top-25 wide receiver for Week 18.

Burden should be in the top 25 in the wideout rankings this week as the Bears try to lock up the No. 2 seed against the Lions. The rookie wideout is on track to be removed from the injury report on Friday. He’s coming off a breakout 8/138/1 game against the 49ers in Week 17.