The Chicago Bears did something that’s not been done often before. Will it pay off for them in the long run?
The 2025 Chicago Bears have a host of upgrades coming into this season in many areas of the team. That includes offense and defense, and especially on the coaching staff, where newly minted head coach Ben Johnson takes over. The Bears have a ton of talent and a lot of hope.
But when it comes down to business, the Bears have done a bit of an odd thing with their player contracts as of late. Known for their innovative approach to contracts in the past, the Bears may have allowed themselves to be taken advantage of with a contract that is one of the first of its kind in NFL history.
The Luther Burden III Contract May Have Been a Gamble
The Set Up
The NFL has undergone several changes over the last few years in the way it signs its players to deals. More contracts are becoming fully guaranteed, and while Luther Burden III’s contract is that way, some wonder why it’s like that. Burden III, first, is a rookie who hasn’t played a single down in the NFL. He also comes into the league pre-injured (something the Bears like to do from time to time with their draft picks), meaning he is one hit away from a more serious injury.
In these days of big money and winning now, getting the most out of a player in the short time they are available is huge to NFL teams. But players want to make plenty of money in the short time that they are in the league. They want as much of a guarantee they will make the most money they can. Guaranteed contracts are a way to give a player “peace of mind.” They need to feel secure and have a nice future for themselves and their families.
Not a Good Choice?
Through the first few days of training camp, Burden III had not been able to practice due to a soft tissue injury. We aren’t entirely sure how this happened, but he hadn’t been able to get in and practice. Being a rookie and new to the Bears, he’s falling further behind in terms of getting acclimated to the team and learning the Bears’ system.
Many people have been excited about the choice of Burden III by the Bears. It seemed like a steal at the time. But coming pre-injured is never a good thing. You would think that teams would learn their lesson with players coming in pre-injured. Granted, you are never going to get a completely healthy player; every player seemingly has some kind of injury. His injuries have been lingering for a while now. He missed a lot of valuable time because of it.
Was he a good choice for the Bears? It appeared so at the point in the draft he was taken. Taken in the second round of the draft at number 39 overall, he was a steal, right? People were saying that the Bears got a first-round talent in the second round. The coaching staff was likely to count their blessings having been able to get a player like Burden III at that spot.
But was he the right choice? Was he a good choice?
Enter the Contract
The details of Burden III’s contract with the Bears are fairly cut and dried. We won’t go into too much detail on it. It is worth $10.965 million for four years. The fully guaranteed contract was the first contract of its type to be given to a player drafted at his position. He also earned himself a $4.613 million signing bonus.
Burden III is now set with this first contract and will earn all that money even if he doesn’t play a single down. Right now, some might say that he’s not going to play a down in the NFL. But there is a lot of time left in training camp, and Burden III has made his debut, and he has turned some heads.
His lack of motivation and knowledge of the offense drew the ire of Johnson. While he has stepped up his game since being called out by Johnson, there is a long way to go.
When It’s All Said and Done
When it’s all said and done, the Bears may have either gotten the steal of the draft or it’s biggest bust. It all depends on how Burden III does in the next few weeks. If he can make up for lost time, get in, continue to get some reps, and stay on the field, he will do well. If he can’t stay on the field, the word bust will be synonymous with his name.
All we can hope for is that the Bears are much better than they have been over the past few seasons. They have struggled mightily against the competition that has been presented to them. They have seen some moderate success, at times, but overall, they have been underachievers.
We can hope that Burden III isn’t like the Bears have had in the past. Lackadaisical and seemingly slow. We want someone fast, full of energy, and willing to go the extra mile to make the team a winner.
The way things started, Burden III looked like he might not quite be what the Bears thought he would be. But it’s possible if you give him time, he’ll end up being a decent wide receiver.
But we’ll see.
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