Bears receiver Luther Burden agreed to sign his rookie contract Friday, just in time to report to Halas Hall on Saturday.
The seventh pick of the second round agreed to his four-year deal, which is expected to pay him around $10.9 million.
Burden waited this long — almost two-and-a-half months after the Bears signed five draft picks — to so the Bears would fully guarantee his contract. The Texans became the first team in NFL history to give a second-rounder a fully guaranteed contract when they issued one to receiver Jayden Higgins, the second pick of the round, in May. Later that week, the Browns gave linebacker Carson Schwesinger, the first pick of the round, a fully guaranteed deal.
No second-round pick league-wide signed for more than two months before the stalemate loosened this week. The Bears agreed to sign tackle Ozzy Trapilo and defensive lineman Shemar Turner, both second-round picks, on Thursday.
Burden’s issue, though, was unique. The player drafted one spot below the Missouri receiver, Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, pushed for full guarantees this offseason because he’s the presumed starter.
The Bears’ rookies and quarterbacks report to Halas Hall on Saturday, with veterans arriving Tuesday. The team’s first training camp practice will be held Wednesday.
Burden participated in the Bears’ rookie minicamp before missing much of the rest of the team’s offseason program with what the team called a soft-tissue injury.