College Coach Says Biggest Knock On Luther Burden Is Completely Made Up

One of the biggest surprises of the 2025 draft for many experts was wide receiver Luther Burden falling to the 2nd round. Going into last season, it looked like the Missouri standout was destined to be a high 1st round pick. However, he had a down season in 2024. Yet that alone wasn’t the reason he fell. The running theory was that he had a reputation for poor practice habits. He was coddled by the program and never pushed himself to work harder. That is why his impact took a dip as defenses began gameplanning to stop him.

The Chicago Bears didn’t mind that reputation. By the time he fell to them at #39 overall, GM Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson couldn’t believe Burden was still available. That made the decision to draft him easy. Still, a reputation for laziness often scares fans. Such players rarely live up to their potential in the NFL. Clay Harbor of Chicago Sports Network decided to get some answers about that. He interviewed Missouri wide receivers coach Jacob Peeler on The Charter podcast.

If there was one thing the coach reiterated multiple times, the idea that Burden isn’t a hard worker or a good teammate is complete BS.

Circumstances out of his control victimized Luther Burden.

Some people inside wonder if he got bored with Missouri’s offense, which didn’t have the best reputation for imagination. They used him the same way every week, which doesn’t do much to get a player excited. On top of that, the Tigers had quarterback problems brought about by injuries. Starter Brady Cook looked nothing like the player he was in 2023, and backup Drew Pine wasn’t much better. Luther Burden did the best he could with what he was given. He still had the most receiving touchdowns on the team with six, was second in yards, and also added 115 on the ground. Missouri hasn’t had the best reputation for developing wide receivers. None had been drafted since 2018 prior to Burden. What he needs is a better environment.