Sources: Bears expect Burden to miss preseason
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- Luther Burden III is expected to miss the preseason with a groin injury, but the Bears believe he should return for the regular-season opener against the Carolina Panthers
- Burden sustained the injury during Saturday's practice when he got tangled up with cornerback Tyrique Stevenson on the final rep of red zone one-on-ones
- Stevenson landed on his back in visible pain, required sideline treatment, and had to pull himself out of an 11-on-11 period but still finished practice
- Burden, a 2025 second-round pick, caught 47 passes for 652 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie last season
- Zavion Thomas is nursing knee soreness from a Sunday 7-on-7 drill injury, though the Bears don't consider it serious and don't expect him to miss much time
Why it matters: Burden was a 2025 second-round pick coming off a 47-catch, 652-yard rookie season, so the preseason absence costs him valuable reps — but Chicago projects him back for Week 1 against Carolina, preserving his second-year trajectory and the Bears' receiving corps outlook.
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