Things are not trending in the right direction for Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III ahead of Week 16’s matchup with the Green Bay Packers.
Burden’s availability has been in question for the Bears since he dropped out with an ankle injury in the third quarter of Week 15’s win over the Cleveland Browns, but they shed more light on the situation with the week’s first injury report on December 16.
The Bears held a walkthrough on Tuesday instead of a practice to start the short week, but they estimated that Burden would not have participated if they had practiced.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson had already left the door open for Burden to sit out against the Packers in Week 16, classifying his ankle injury as a “day-by-day” issue.
“His ankle is something we’re working through and talking about,” Johnson said on December 15. “We’ll see how this week goes in terms of whether we will have him available Saturday night or not, but it’s more of a day-by-day type of deal with him.”
Burden will have two more practices to improve his condition before the Bears (10-4) release their final injury report for the matchup. They will host the Packers (9-3-1) for Saturday Night Football at Soldier Field at 8:20 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 20.
Bears Weighing ‘All Options’ With WR Rome Odunze
As the Bears navigate Burden’s ankle injury this week, they must also figure out how to best move forward with fellow wide receiver Rome Odunze and his lingering foot injury.
Odunze has missed two straight games for the Bears with a stress fracture in his foot, one that he reaggravated during pregame warmups before Week 15’s game against the Browns. He has also been dealing with issues related to his ankle, heel and foot since October, raising questions about whether a longer-term recovery plan is in order.
And according to Johnson, the Bears are considering “all options.”
“All options are on the table,” Johnson said. “We’re going to do what’s best for Rome, first and foremost. I know he wants to be out there and helping. It’s hard to tell him no sometimes. He just wants to be out on the field competing and contributing and helping our team win. And so, there may be a case that we’ve got to protect him from himself a bit just to make sure we get him right and he’ll be able to help us down the road.”
For what it is worth, Odunze was also estimated as a non-participant to start the week.
Could Jahdae Walker Get an Opportunity vs. Packers?
The Bears have some time yet before they must decide whether Odunze and Burden will play against the Packers. If the worst comes to pass and they find themselves without both, though, there is a fair chance that rookie Jahdae Walker could get his shot.
The Bears have rostered six wide receivers throughout the 2025 season, but Walker — a UDFA rookie who made the 53-man roster coming out of training camp — has received little opportunity to prove himself as the last man in the rotation. That could change if the Bears are reduced to just four active-roster receivers against the Packers, though.
Walker has only appeared in six games for the Bears in 2025, playing 61 of his 69 total snaps on special teams, but he made plays in training camp and wowed with his sticky grabs in the preseason. If the Bears feel good about his understanding of the offense, then perhaps quarterback Caleb Williams will throw his way for the first time this year.
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