Bears rookie Luther Burden is candidate to return punts
Bears rookie Luther Burden is candidate to return punts
The Chicago Bears landed an explosive playmaker in rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III, so naturally they'd like to get him the ball as much as possible.
While Burden will play a key role in Ben Johnson's offense -- most likely in the slot, where he thrived in college -- he'll also have the opportunity to compete on special teams for the punt returner job.
'He's going to have a chance just like everyone else, but you see it on offense and saw it in college, how electric he is when the ball is in his hands,' special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said. 'Like, he's a different dude with the ball in his hand. So all we're looking for is playmakers that will help us change field position and win games. So, that's what I see in him, along with our other returners that we acquired this offseason as well.'
Burden served as a punt returner at Missouri, primarily during his freshman season, where he returned 12 punts for 151 yards (12.6 average), including a punt return touchdown. In his final two years, Burden returned a total of 12 points for 101 yards (8.3 average).
The Bears will have quite the competition at the returner position, which includes newcomers Olamide Zaccheaus, former Pro Bowl returner Devin Duvernay, Maurice Alexander and Burden, as well as returning veterans Travis Homer, Tyler Scott and Josh Blackwell.
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