Bear Digest

Luther Burden III after big day: 'I want the ball every play'

Bears rookie wide receiver delivers with big effort in scrimmage as passing game experiences a positive day overall.
Gene Chamberlain|
Luther Burden III has begun to ascend after being out with an injury to start camp.
Luther Burden III has begun to ascend after being out with an injury to start camp. | Chicago Bears On SI Photo: Chicago Bears Video

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Chicago Bears

The tough Thursday practice Ben Johnson labeled as a deal maker for some players definitely didn’t come across as a disappointment for Luther Burden III.

The Bears’ second-round wide receiver kept the momentum going that he had built earlier this week. Burden made a dazzling array of catches in team scrimmage, and also caught a bomb in one-on-one work for a touchdown after beating Shaun Wade.

He started it all with a catch coming across the field from Caleb Williams and then caught passes from Tyson Bagent and Williams both afterward, proving that he did use his time wisely as he tried to heal from a hamstring injury suffered in rookie camp.

 “I feel like today was a great day, a great day to play football, a great day to get better, compete, all that type of stuff,” Burden said. “It just felt good to be back out there with the guys, creating that bond with the coaches, teammates, everybody. It felt good.”

Now fully healed, he did learn the hard way as he returned and was berated earlier in the week by coach Ben Johnson for mental mistakes while lining up.

“I feel like I’ve got to know my stuff,” Burden said. “He holds everybody to a high standard here. It’s great for us, great for the team and that’s the standard here.”

The tough coaching by Johnson isn’t something that will chase Burden away.

“I feel like he’s very intense all the way around,” Burden said. “He’s trying to create a championship team here and we’ve got to do stuff a certain way here to execute at a high level.”

Johnson’s offense has been called complex before but Burden said he can handle the mental aspect.

“I feel like I can do everything in his offense,” Burden said. “I’m just really trying to get my feet wet, get situated on the field and learn by playbook really. I feel like everything else will take care of itself.”

It will if he continues having days like he had on Thursday. He managed to elude veterans and younger DBs alike.

“It definitely builds confidence, not even just me but with the coaches, the play caller, the quarterback giving me the ball and everybody on the team, seeing me go out there and make plays against guys,” Burden said. “It was great.”

Burden emerged dissatisfied even with a big day.

“I definitely want it more, I want the ball every play,” Burden said. “That’s my goal, to get the ball every play. I’m trying to get the ball and make something happen."

Lining Up

The Bears practiced without right guard Jonah Jackson, who is day to day with a leg injury. Backup guard Bill Murray missed with an unspecified injury. 

Long snapper Scott Daly left the field on a cart with a trainer. The team does have a second long snapper in Luke Elkin, an Iowa undrafted rookie who was the long snapper or punter Tory Taylor.

Cornerback Zah Frazier remains away for personal reasons.

It’s Practice, Man

The offense had one of its best overall days moving the ball through the air and mixing in the ground attack, especially when Kyle Monangai was carrying the ball. On one sequence he had a pair of tough 6-yard runs up the middle on a day when players were in pads.  

Slot receiver Olamide Zaccheaus was up to the challenge from Burden as he made three big catches in 11-on-11. The first-team offense, though, had problems once they got into the red zone and couldn’t close the deal in the two-minute drill.  

Caleb Williams’ consecutive practices without an interception came to an end when Tyrique Stevenson picked off an errant fourth-and-long throw. They also had a fourth-down intentional grounding penalty against Williams that left a bad taste. The best pass play of the day was Bagent looking off the secondary and coming back to the middle deep to tight end Stephen Carlson wide open for a touchdown.

Defensively, Montez Sweat produced a sack while defensive back Jeremiah Walker had possibly the best pass breakup while guarding Samori Toure.  

On special teams, Cairo Santos again enjoyed a perfect day kicking field goals. Jonathan Kim had a lengthy miss.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.