Luther Burden ends his preseason preparation

Wide receiver Luther Burden’s 2026 NFL season is on hold for a few weeks after he injured his groin during a Chicago Bears practice on Saturday.

According to head coach Ben Johnson, Burden will miss the remainder of the preseason but added that the former East St. Louis High School and Missouri star could return for the season opener at the Carolina Panthers.

Burden collided with cornerback Tyrique Stevenson during a one-on-one passing drill and both players remained down on the field. Burden limped off the field to the locker room, while Stevenson would return to practice.

Last year during his rookie season, Burden caught 47 passes for 652 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games. A concussion and an ankle injury cost him two games, respectively.

According to CBS Sports research, Burden ranked third among wide receivers in yards per route run with 2.71 (min. 200 routes), trailing only Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba and L.A. Rams star Puka Nacua.

It was the most yards per route run by a rookie wide receiver in the past 10 decades.

According to Brendan Sugrue of Bears Wire, “Up to this point, Burden was having a sensational camp while growing his rapport with quarterback Caleb Williams. Now that connection will need to be put on hold and hopefully return when the games get underway.”

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