Image via All-Pro Reels / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Luther Burden III with the Chicago Bears in 2025.
Luther Burden III had the best night of his young career on Sunday Night Football, and the worst moment of it too. He caught seven passes for 97 yards and scored a 56-yard touchdown. Then he fumbled late in the fourth quarter, took a big hit, and left the game. The Bears still beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-24, but Burden was in the locker room by the end of it. He was later diagnosed with a concussion.
That is the story of his second season in short. He has become the Bears' top receiver, the one Caleb Williams looks for when a play breaks down. He is 22, in his second year, and already the hardest player on the team to cover one-on-one.
St. Louis made him
Luther Burden III was born on December 12, 2003, in St. Louis, Missouri. He grew up playing football in a city that loves the game, and he was the best player in his age group from early on. He started high school at Cardinal Ritter College Prep in St. Louis, where he also played basketball and helped the school win a state title in the 2019-20 season.
He finished high school at East St. Louis High School, just across the river in Illinois. His final season there was huge: 71 catches for 1,174 yards and 20 touchdowns, plus eight punt-return touchdowns. He was named the All-Metro Offensive Player of the Year in 2021. Every big college programme in the country wanted him. He stayed home and picked Missouri.
The Missouri breakout
Burden played three seasons at Missouri, from 2022 to 2024, and got better each year. As a freshman he caught 45 passes and scored six receiving touchdowns. Then came 2023, the season that made his name. He caught 86 passes for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns, finished among the top 10 receivers in the country, and was named a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award as the best receiver in college football. He was also a second-team All-American.
He did it again in 2024, with 61 catches for 676 yards and six touchdowns, and a second straight first-team All-SEC pick. In three years at Missouri he caught 192 passes for 2,263 yards and scored 26 touchdowns in all — 21 as a receiver, four running the ball, and one on a punt return. Missouri won 10 or more games in each of his last two seasons, something the school had not done back to back since 2013-14.
| Season at Missouri | Catches | Yards | Receiving TDs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 45 | 375 | 6 |
| 2023 | 86 | 1,212 | 9 |
| 2024 | 61 | 676 | 6 |
| Career | 192 | 2,263 | 21 |
The draft slide that helped Chicago
Plenty of draft boards had Burden in the first round. He ran a 4.41-second 40-yard dash and could turn a short catch into a big play. But the first round came and went without his name being called. The Chicago Bears took him in the second round, 39th overall, in the 2025 NFL Draft.
It was a gift for Chicago. Burden was the sixth receiver taken in that draft, and he has outplayed most of the ones taken ahead of him.
Image via All-Pro Reels / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Burden with the Bears against Washington on Monday Night Football, October 2025.
The rookie year
Burden played 15 games as a rookie in 2025 and caught 47 passes for 652 yards and two touchdowns. His 652 yards were the third most among all rookie receivers that year. He had his first 100-yard game in Week 3, then set a new career high with 138 yards on eight catches in Week 17 at San Francisco, including a 35-yard touchdown.
He also played in both of Chicago's playoff games that season, catching six passes for 66 yards. The Bears won their first division title since 2018 and their first playoff game since 2010. Burden was a part of that from the start.
| Quick Facts | Luther Burden III |
|---|---|
| Full name | Luther Burden III |
| Born | 12 December 2003, St. Louis, Missouri |
| Age | 22 (turns 23 on 12 December 2026) |
| Nationality | American |
| Zodiac | Sagittarius |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Profession | NFL wide receiver |
| Team | Chicago Bears (2025–present), No. 10 |
| College | Missouri (2022–2024) |
| NFL Draft | 2025, 2nd round, 39th overall |
| Career stats | 96 catches, 1,296 yards, 6 touchdowns (through Week 9, 2026) |
| Net worth | No verified figure; estimates vary widely |
Year two: the Bears' top receiver
His second season has been a step up. Before Sunday night he had 42 catches for 547 yards and three touchdowns in eight games. His best night so far came against New England on October 22, when he caught four passes for 130 yards and a touchdown in a 30-24 win.
He scored the opening touchdown on Monday Night Football at Seattle on November 2, a one-yard catch on the first drive of a 34-17 win. Then came Sunday night against Tampa Bay: the 56-yard touchdown early, seven catches, 97 yards — and the fumble and the concussion.
He was examined in the sideline medical tent after the hit and then taken back to the locker room for further checks. Head coach Ben Johnson later told ESPN that Burden had been diagnosed with a concussion. The Bears have their bye in Week 10, which gives him two weeks before the next game, at home to New Orleans on November 22.
Image via All-Pro Reels / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Caleb Williams, the quarterback Burden catches passes from in Chicago.
| Season | Games | Catches | Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15 | 47 | 652 | 2 |
| 2026 (through Week 9) | 9 | 49 | 644 | 4 |
| Career | 24 | 96 | 1,296 | 6 |
What he is worth
There is no verified net worth figure for Burden. He is still on his rookie deal with the Bears, the standard four-year contract for a second-round pick. The money that matters for now is on the field: if he keeps playing like this, his next contract will be a big one.
He keeps his private life out of the spotlight. No girlfriend or partner has been publicly confirmed, and he does not talk about it. What is public is the football, and the football says he is one of the best young receivers in the league.
FAQs
How old is Luther Burden III? He was born on December 12, 2003, so he is 22. He turns 23 on December 12, 2026.
How tall is Luther Burden III? He is 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) tall and weighs 210 lb (95 kg).
What happened to Luther Burden III against the Buccaneers? He caught seven passes for 97 yards and a touchdown, but he fumbled late in the fourth quarter after a helmet-to-helmet hit and was later diagnosed with a concussion.
What are Luther Burden III's stats in 2026? Through Week 9 he has 49 catches for 644 yards and four touchdowns in nine games. His career total is 96 catches for 1,296 yards and six touchdowns.
What is Luther Burden III's net worth? There is no verified figure. He is on his rookie contract with the Chicago Bears after being drafted 39th overall in 2025.
Does Luther Burden III have a girlfriend? No partner has been publicly confirmed. He keeps his private life out of the spotlight.
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