The Chicago Bears made a big trade on Thursday morning, and the effects will have huge implications for former Missouri Tiger Luther Burden III. Burden was taken in the second-round of last year's draft, and now already has a prime opportunity to boost his playing time.
The Bears sent wide receiver DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills in a trade that netted them a second-round pick according to Tom Pelissero. With Moore out as the No. 1 receiver in Chicago, it likely means that Burden and Rome Odunze will now take on much larger roles. Burden had 47 catches for 652 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie.
Luther Burden III just got a big increase in his workload after Chicago shipped off DJ Moore
The Bears clearly see Burden as a player who can handle a bigger workload, and paired with Odunze, Chicago has a nice up-and-coming receiver duo. With the addition of tight end Colston Loveland as well, Moore became expendable, and the Bears will now have a second-round pick to bolster the roster elsewhere.
Burden's best season with Mizzou came in 2023, when he rocketed up draft boards after posting 86 catches for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns. He came back down to Earth in 2024, but still was selected in the second-round of the draft to Chicago. Now after a promising rookie campaign, he'll be given the keys as one of Caleb Williams' top options.
It's not unreasonable to think Burden could now become a 1000-yard receiver in 2026. Odunze and Loveland will share the spotlight a bit, but Burden has shown to be a consistent, reliable pass-catcher for Ben Johnson. And who knows, maybe the Bears use their newly-acquired draft pick to secure Missouri edge rusher and Burden's former locker mate Zion Young, who already disclosed that he met with Chicago at the NFL Combine.