Chicago Bears rookies are set to attend to training camp on July 19, and at least two of their three second-round picks will be there. They've reportedly agreed to terms with offensive and defensive tackles, Ozzy Trapilo and Shemar Turner, though one newcomer remains unsigned: Wide receiver Luther Burden III.
2025 Round 2 selections across the NFL are slowly but surely ending the contract disputes caused by the Houston Texans fully guaranteeing Jayden Higgins' deal. As of this writing, Chicago has two of the eight incoming players chosen in the 33-64 range that have put pen to paper. It's a massive victory for Bears general manager Ryan Poles, though he loses brown points as Burden's situation remaining unresolved.
Bears sign two of three second-round picks before training camp, but Luther Burden still needs a contract
The Bears fully guaranteed the first two years of Trapilo's pact, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer. They assured 72 percent of his salary in 2027 too. No details were revealed on Stewart's terms when Ian Rapoport of NFL Network broke the news. Now, the attention shifts to Burden, Chicago's highest draft choice of the bunch.
Burden was taken only a handful of spots behind Higgins and plays the same position, a more premium one than Trapilo and Stewart at that. With that in mind, the former could still be looking for the same financial promises Houston made to the latter. However, the Texans did something no team in league history did before, and only the Cleveland Browns have followed suit since.
There's still some time before Burden is expected to be present at Halas Hall. Chicago handling their business with Stewart and Trapilo suggests he could be next, which is an encouraging development. The Missouri product has already fallen behind this offseason; he can't afford to miss anymore time.
A soft tissue issue sidelined Burden through organized team activities (OTAs) and mandatory minicamp. First-year head coach Ben Johnson has "seemed confident" ($) that he'll be physically ready for training camp. Nonetheless, if this stalemate doesn't beat the buzzer his contractual status will prevent him from practicing, let alone being in the building.
Trapilo is competing with veteran Braxton Jones to be Chicago's starting blindside protector, so it's imperative that he soaks up every rep possible. Stewart's path to playing time isn't as clear; two-time Pro Bowler Grady Jarrett and Gervon Dexter Sr. are ahead of him on the depth chart. Barring unforeseen circumstances, Burden will eventually compete with standout D.J. Moore and 2024 first-rounder Rome Odunze for targets in the receiver room.