Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III has a message for all the teams who passed on him during the 2025 NFL Draft.
‘That’s staying with me forever,’ Burden told the media on Friday. ‘Everybody who passed up on me got to pay.’
The Bears selected Burden in the second round with the 39th overall pick.
For what it’s worth, the Bears also passed on Burden in the first round when they used the 10th overall pick on tight end Colston Loveland.
Four other wide receivers were drafted ahead of Burden. Going into his final college football season, Burden was considered a top NFL prospect after he tallied 86 catches and 1,212 receiving yards in 2023. However, subpar quarterback play contributed to a decline in production (61 catches, 676 yards).
“All I need is me to believe in myself. I don’t need everybody else to believe in me. As long as I believe in myself, I’m gonna handle business,” Burden said. “I had this attitude since I’ve been playing sports. It’s just in me.”
Burden has a chance to be an immediate contributor in Chicago as a slot receiver. He played 462 snaps in the slot during his final season at Missouri. The Bears have a hole at slot receiver after letting veteran wideout Keenan Allen walk in free agency.
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