Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III (10) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Lumen Field.
Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
The Chicago Bears now have Super Bowl expectations after trading for Jeffery Simmons. And in their much-anticipated matchup against the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on Monday night, Caleb Williams and the Bears drew first blood on their opening drive.
Williams connected with wide receiver Luther Burden III to give Chicago an early 7-0 lead. After rolling to his right, Williams found Burden III in the end zone just before the Seahawks defender could recover.
That touchdown capped off an impressive 17-play, 80-yard drive that lasted 8:30.
A second-round pick by the Bears last year, Burden was a touted as a major breakout candidate heading into the season. He has lived up to that hype thus far, emerging as Caleb Williams' primary receiver. Heading into Monday night, the second-year man is leading the team with 35 catches for 491 yards and two touchdowns.
Burden is coming off a massive performance in the 30-24 win against the New England Patriots on Thursday night. He had four catches for a season-high 130 yards and a touchdown.
But the beauty of the Bears offense this season is how balanced it is. Aside from Burden, they have four other receivers with 20+ catches. Meanwhile, their ground game has been one of the most prolific in the league with 1,080 yards and 14 touchdowns through seven games. D'Andre Swift has been a strong dual-threat back with 628 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns (all rushing).
It remains to be seen whether Burden III can truly carry the burden of being a No. 1 receiver for a Super Bowl contender come playoff time. But in the regular season at least, he is doing a capable job leading an ensemble cast of Bears receivers.