Luther Burden Stat Puts Bears WR in Elite Company and Ahead of Puka Nacua, Ja'Marr Chase

Luther Burden did something only two rookie wide receivers have done in the Next Gen Stats era and the top five is filled with elite wide receivers.

Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We certainly didn't need another reason to have through-the-roof hype for Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden, but we got one anyway.

According to NFL researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno, Burden averaged 2.7 yards per route run last season, which is tied for the highest mark among rookie wide receivers (minimum 200 routes) in the Next Gen Stats era.

The only wideouts to match that mark are A.J. Brown and Justin Jefferson, and Burden finished ahead of both Puka Nacua and Ja'Marr Chase.

According to Sumer Sports, yards per route run is defined as "the amount of receiving yards a receiver accumulates divided by the number of routes they have run."

It's no doubt a fantastic sign to see Burden surrounded by elite wide receivers. The Bears can only hope this is a sign of things to come for a player who will be crucial to the offense's success this coming season.

The 2026 Luther Burden hype train

Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Expectations for Burden are already high entering his second year in the NFL.

Two reasons why that's the case is because of the strong finish he had in 2025, and his being in line for a bigger role after Chicago traded D.J. Moore to the Buffalo Bills.

Another reason for all the hype surrounding Burden is his own head coach.

Ben Johnson has been pumping up Burden during the offseason and clearly wants to get the second-year wideout the ball more.

"He's exactly what we thought we were getting out of the draft last year," he said of Burden earlier this year. "This guy is a dynamic playmaker. He's got some of the best run-after-the-catch in the game right now. I really believe that. We've got to continue to get the ball in his hands as often as we possibly can."

“I’m buying Luther Burden stock right now," Johnson said at OTAs. “He’s been extremely coachable.”

With Burden now having such a prominent role in the offense, he's going to have ample opportunity to deliver on the hype, and his ability to do so will greatly aid in Caleb Williams' quest to take a step forward in what is a crucial season for the signal-caller.