ESPN Named Luther Burden a Bears Breakout Pick and Said the Sky Is the Limit in 2026

Is Luther Burden the next breakout star for the Chicago Bears? ESPN seems to think so. Just a few days after one ESPN.comfantasy football writer put him on a potential breakout list, so did someone else from the Worldwide Leader.

Ben Solak published a list of 32 breakout candidates, one for each NFL team, on Wednesday morning. Among the many interesting picks on the list was Burden, the talented second-year wide receiver from the University of Missouri. After showing a lot of good flashes last year, everyone seems to like what he could have in store with more production this year.

"Burden was largely a screen-and-shot player to start the 2025 season, but he started to get more opportunities on crossers and underneath routes as coach Ben Johnson grew to trust him with the ball in his hands," Solak wrote. He continued to shine a light on Burden's potentially unlimited success.

"With DJ Moore gone and Rome Odunze working back from a foot injury, the door is wide open for Burden to grab more targets," he wrote. "The sky is the limit here."

Solak also noted that despite Burden's low production, there was still so much to like. Citing advanced statistics, Solak points out that Burden's yards per route run of 2.92, which he said would tie New England Patriots star receiver A.J. Brown for the best mark from a rookie receiver since 2011.

The slow starts are nothing new to Burden. The former five-star recruit came on through a lengthy process over the years as a Tiger. In his last two seasons, Burden recorded 147 receptions for 1,888 yards and 15 touchdowns. In his freshman year, he only had 45 receptions for 475 yards and six scores.

So in other words, if things hold to form, Burden could have an outstanding second season just like he did at Mizzou. With many latching onto him, expectations are rising. But it seems that Burden is the kind of talent who would thrive under those conditions and may ultimately succeed like many predict he's going to succeed.

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This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 11:30 AM.