Luther Burden III inks rookie contract with historical signifance, per report
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Luther Burden III is gearing up for his NFL career after wrapping up his career at Mizzou. During the 2025 NFL Draft, he was officially selected by the Chicago Bears with the 39th overall pick early in the 2nd round.
On Friday, NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that Burden has signed his rookie deal with the franchise, though there is some added significance to the deal. According to Schefter, Burden’s deal is a fully guaranteed contract at $10.965 million.
That would make Burden the first player ever selected with the 39th overall pick to land a fully guaranteed contract:
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During his time under Eli Drinkwitz, Burden was one of the most consistent weapons in the SEC. He recorded 26 total touchdowns across his career and set a career-high mark with over 1,200 yards receiving and 9 touchdowns during 2023.
Burden left Mizzou with 2,263 receiving yards, a mark that ranks 6th in program history. His 21 career receiving touchdowns are also tied for the 4th-most in program history.
During the draft, Burden was the 5th WR selected and has a chance to be a great value selection for the Bears. He will be looked at early on as a key weapon to work with franchise quarterback Caleb Williams.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
