Bears’ Confidence in Luther Burden Continues to Grow Ahead of 2026 Season

Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III (10) runs after the catch against Los Angeles Rams cornerback Darious Williams (31) and safety Kam Curl (3) during the second quarter of an NFC Divisional Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

Excitement is in the air as the Chicago Bears officially open training camp. Heading into camp, fans were eager to see what second-year wide receiver Luther Burden could do. After all the praise Burden has received from coaches, teammates and executives at Halas Hall, that excitement has only continued to grow. Let's take a look at the latest comments about the young receiver.

Luther Burden Is Receiving Lots of Praise Heading Into Training Camp

Caleb Williams Gives Burden the Highest Praise a QB Can Give a Wide Receiver

On Monday, Caleb Williams was a guest on the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams. While much of the interview focused on Williams being the cover athlete of Madden NFL 27, there were a few questions about the team and the upcoming 2026 season.

One of these questions surrounded Burden. Adams asked, "What is so special about him, {Luther Burden}?

Williams said, "He makes the first guy miss every time; that's his trait. He catches everything, easy passes, hard passes. He's a friendly receiver, which is what we call it for a QB."

Williams comments are the highest praise a QB can bestow upon a receiver. Not only did he mention his ability to make the first guy miss, which everyone can see, but he also called him a QB-friendly receiver. That comment in itself shows how much trust Williams has in Burden going into year two.

Many quarterbacks are still trying to build that level of trust with a second-year receiver. To already be there only means good things for Burden heading into training camp and the regular season.

GM Ryan Poles Shares Great Insight into Burden's Work Ethic

On Tuesday, general manager Ryan Poles had his yearly press conference to open up training camp. During that press conference, Poles dropped some great insight into Burden heading into year two.

According to CHGO Sports, Poles said, "If there's a guy I'm really excited about, it's Luther Burden. Because just how much he's grown from the day he walked in this building. I heard he was just texting and calling these quarterbacks, just looking for an arm to throw to him every day of the week. The guy loves football."

This is exactly what Bears fans want to hear about the young receiver. Coming out of the draft, there was speculation that part of the reason Burden fell was that there were questions about how much he loved football. He clearly has the talent to be drafted in the first round.

He showed that talent last season once he became more comfortable with the playbook. However, after how training camp went last season and how long it took him to become a meaningful part of the offense in 2026, questions may have still lingered.

With Poles' most recent comments, though, those questions are all but gone. Not many players would contact every quarterback in the QB room to try to get extra reps during the six-week break. Most players would probably only contact the starting QB and maybe the backup.

The fact that it sounds like Burden even reached out to third-string quarterback Case Keenum shows just how committed he is to improving. Most young receivers would probably focus on getting extra work with only the starting quarterback or perhaps the backup. Burden's willingness to work with anyone available speaks volumes about his desire to become a great player.

Taken together, Williams' comments about Burden's reliability and Poles' comments about his work ethic paint a clear picture. The Bears aren't just excited about Burden's talent—they're excited about the player he's becoming.

Poles' and Williams' comments aren't the only positive things fans have heard about Burden this offseason. Before the Bears broke for the summer, head coach Ben Johnson even said he'd be "buying stock" in Burden heading into the 2026 season.

Given everything that's been said about Burden over the past two days, it's easy to see why Johnson made that comment. It's not just Burden's flashes from last season that have people predicting a breakout campaign in 2026. It's the confidence his quarterback, head coach, general manager, and teammates have in him. When everyone inside Halas Hall continues to send the same message, it's worth paying attention.