Luther Burden III and the Bears need to avoid a potential rookie contract hold out at all costs

Chicago Bears’ players will report to Halas Hall in less than two weeks, as several of the team’s 2025 Draft selections remaining unsigned, including their three second round picks. Although there is still time to finalize the rookie contracts for their selections, there is one signing that matters the most, which is Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III. A potential rookie hold out could be costly for both Burden and the Bears, as new head coach Ben Johnson’s offensive needs the rookie to complete the offense’s potential explosive scheme.

Luther Burden III and the Bears’ offense would both be negatively affected by a potential contract hold out

If the Bears are unable to sign the Luther Burden III before training camp practices begin, it would be a significant concern, as the rookie has missed almost all team activities since being drafted back in April due to a soft-tissue injury. The time missed already is troubling, as with Johnson’s new offense, both rookie and veteran players need as much time to become familiar with new playbook. If Burden misses any time due to a hold out, it will likely mean that the offensive will have to make adjustments, while the wide receiver’s on field playing time will be delayed at the start of the 2025 season.

For Burden, it is imperative that he tries to work out a deal as soon as possible, as any time missed during training camp or preseason would delay or hinder his development during his rookie campaign. If the rookie wide receiver misses potentially the first week or two weeks of training camp due to no contract, it would likely result in him missing the first preseason game on August 10th against the Miami Dolphins. Missing live game reps would extremely costly because it may be the only time Luther Burden III gets a chance to work with the first team offense in a live game scenario, including second-year quarterback Caleb WIlliams.

From an offensive scheme standpoint, Burden’s presence in Johnson’s new offense is vital because the rookie provides heightened qualities that is needed at the slot receiver position. The rookie wide out from Missouri was highly heralded for his speed, elite quick twitch capabilities to beat defenders, and ability to be explosive threat downfield. With the departure of former Pro Bowl pass-catcher Keenan Allen, Chicago drafted Luther Burden III to be team’s slot receiver and deep ball specialist due to his success while at Missouri.

The role of Luther Burden III as the slot receiver in Chicago’s new offense is paramount, given what Johnson wants to do with the passing offense. Despite the Bears’ offensive scheme relying heavily on the rushing offense, the passing offense will utilize speed and mismatches to make plays downfield. A staple of the new head coach’s passing offense is having a deep threat pass-catcher with breakaway speed to help create openings over the middle of the field, something that Burden excelled at in college. Without the rookie deep-ball specialist, it could make it hard for tight ends Cole Kmet and rookie Colston Loveland to have consistent separation from opposing linebackers and safeties over-the-middle on passing plays.

It isn’t just Johnson or other pass-catchers in Chicago’s offense who could suffer from Luther Burden’s absence and delayed development, as Williams’ quarterback development could be significantly hindered also. The Bears’ first overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft is coming off a rookie campaign where he a league-leading 68 times, which was partially due to his inability to get the ball out quicker. With Burden apart of the offense at the slot position, it would give the second-year quarterback another target who can use his speed to get open immediately to allow his signal-caller a chance to get the ball in the face of oncoming pass-rush pressure.

 Luther Burden III could face negative backlash from the Bears’ fanbase due to prior holdout experience

From an off-field standpoint, a potential rookie-contract holdout would be bad for Luther Burden III from a character and future potential standpoint. Historically, contract holdouts for offensive players have not been a good omen, especially for Bears’ offensive players. Former first round selections made by the Bears including Curtis Enis, Cade McNown, David Terrell, and Cedric Benson, all held out while later ending up to becoming infamous draft busts. Burden, even though a second-round selection, will likely be expected to perform like a top first-round selection, as many draft analysts saw him as a first-round talent.

When it comes to why Luther Burden III was selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, there were character concerns and a drop in production from 2023 to 2024 led to him falling out of the first round. A holdout would only amplify those concerns and likely lead to the Bears’ fanbase having negative beliefs about the rookie, even before he gets on the field. Despite there being a chance of other 2025 draft selections selected by the Bears being unsigned when training camp starts, Burden will have the most attention paid to him because of the position he plays.

The length of a potential holdout would increase the potential dissatisfaction from Bears’ fans against Luther Burden III, given what happened with other hold outs in the past. Enis, McNown, Benson, and Terrell, each saw their production intensely scrutinized by disgruntled fans during their short careers in Chicago. Any dropped pass or route that is ran incorrectly by Burden would lead to immense and immediate criticism from avid Bears’ fans.

If there are multiple unsigned rookies by the time players begin to start reporting to training camp in the next two weeks, it will be a poor look on Chicago’s front office and embattled general manager Ryan Poles. However, if Luther Burden III is the lone rookie unsigned by the time practice starts in late-July, any issues with development or productive will be blamed on him. Burden and the Bears can’t afford a costly holdout as the wide receiver’s role in Chicago’s offense is too significant given the new coaching staff in 2025.