Why one analyst is dying to see Bears Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III unleashed
Second year pros Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III are in line for bigger roles for the Bears in 2026. @kdthompson5 on what that could mean here:
We’re getting closer to our first look at the 2026 Chicago Bears, and there’s one thing in particular ESPN’s Ben Solak wants to know about this squad: what are sophomore stars Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III about to do now that their roles are set to expand this season? As Bears fans know, general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson moved veteran receiver DJ Moore this past offseason to make room for the glut of young talent in the pass-catching corps, which also includes 2024 No. 9 overall pick Rome Odunze.
Assuming Odunze is healthy, he’s likely to see substantial targets and hopefully return to the level of production he enjoyed before leg injuries derailed his own sophomore campaign. But after what Loveland, the No. 10 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Burden, the 39th pick in the same class, did down the stretch of their respective rookie seasons, there’s no way they’re not going to be major parts of the offense.
Burden’s case is especially intriguing because he figures to slot alongside Odunze as a starter in Moore’s place—a scenario one could envision after he started to break out late in his rookie campaign. “Burden averaged 2. 92 yards per route run during the regular season.
That’s tied with A. J. Brown for the best mark for a rookie receiver (minimum 50 targets) in the past 15 years.
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