The Chicago Bears lost to the San Francisco 49ers in a barn-burner in Week 17 on Sunday Night Football. In the process of losing 42-38, the Bears got some concerning injury news.
After the final play, wide receiver Luther Burden III was carted to the locker room, leaving fans worried about potentially being without their breakout rookie in Week 18 to finish out the year.
But, according to a report from NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Bears' wide receiver is "OK," and while he's tired, he shouldn't be of major concern long-term for the Bears.
Bears' WR Luther Burden III 'OK' after injury scare
"Meanwhile, Luther Burden III seemed to come out of the game OK," Rapoport reported. "Tired, but OK."
While Burden was a concerning injury to follow, this report, combined with other reporting indicating nothing serious for Burden, is a sigh of relief.
Rapoport's mention that Burden is "OK" is also noteworthy in the sense that, if Burden had any major concern going forward, his status wouldn't be described as "OK."
This is some good news for the Bears, which is much-needed following a heartbreaking loss, and the potentially torn Achilles for Noah Sewell.
More: Luther Burden injury update: Latest news on Bears WR after Week 17 game
Despite the loss, Burden finally had his big breakout game. He hauled in eight of his nine targets for 138 yards and one touchdown for the Bears this week.
With Rome Odunze out, and the rest of the wide receiver corps either sick or inexperienced players, Burden's production was huge.
DJ Moore was not 100%, which left Burden as the focal point of the offense for Chicago. He stepped up big time, and heading into the final week of the season, he's set for another big week for the Bears against the Detroit Lions.
Burden is okay, and while his status for Week 18 is a little up in the air, all signs point to his carting to the locker room as not being the end-all, be-all for his status going forward.
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