The Bears have two new toys for Ben Johnson, who are you more confident will be here for the long haul?
I don’t think there’s a Bears fan in existence who isn’t excited about what type of strides the Chicago Bears offense can make in 2025. With Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze, DJ Moore, and a revamped offensive line, there are plenty of reasons to be excited.
Not only that, but the Bears also added two new weapons to the Chicago Bears offense. In the first round, they selected Michigan tight end Colston Loveland. In the second round, they went with Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden.
Question of the Day: Who is more likely to receive a 2nd contract, Luther Burden or Colston Loveland?
Let’s look at these two new offensive weapons long-term, shall we? The hope is that both these players receive second contracts and they become key parts of the offense moving forward. But while that’s the hope, we know that neither player doesn’t have a 100% likelihood of receiving a second contract after their rookie deals expire.
So, which one of these players is more likely to receive a second contract? At first glance, the name might be Loveland, after all, he was a top 10 pick, and Burden was taken in the second round, but there are plenty of reasons why some may consider Burden to have the higher probability.
My answer: First of all, I think both of these picks are very good ones, and I think the odds that both of them receive second contracts are pretty strong.
When looking at Loveland, you have a top ten pick, who looks like he could be a Sam LaPorta type in Johnson’s offense, and Cole Kmet’s contract will have expired when it’s time to pay Loveland, so there are plenty of reasons to think it’s Loveland.
On the other hand, the bust rate of first-round tight ends is pretty high, and you can make the argument that a second-round wide receiver has a higher probability of earning a second deal than a first-round tight end. Look at Kyle Pitts. He was a top 5 pick and definitely considered a better prospect than Loveland, and the Atlanta Falcons are definitely on the fence about whether or not they will extend him.
When you look at Burden, he’s a unique second-round selection as well. After the 2023 season, Burden was largely considered a future first-round pick as well, but with a bumpier 2024 season (largely due to inconsistent QB play), Burden’s numbers dropped, and he slid to the second round.
You can also say that with Rome Odunze a year in front of Burden, Odunze may receive a second contract, and that could also hurt Burden’s chances for a second contract. Look at how challenging it was for Cincinnati to pay both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Despite the way the roster lines up for Loveland and the more hurdles that Burden would have to clear, I’ll still say that Burden’s odds are higher than Loveland’s. I would expect that to be a minority opinion, and I also think that both these players probably receive second contracts, but if it’s one or the other, while I think it’s close, I think Burden’s odds are a little higher based on the success of first round tight ends over the last 10 to 15 years.
What do you say, Bears fans? Which rookie would you take? Burden or Loveland? Sound off in the comments section below!