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Luther Burden lays out Damar Hamlin on block, Booger McFarland reacts

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones08/18/25brianjones_93
Luther Burden
Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Luther Burden laid out Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin during the preseason game, and Booger McFarland had an interesting reaction. On X/Twitter, McFarland reacted to Burden’s block on Hamlin that led to a Bears touchdown.

“Luther Burden just pancaked Hamlin. Didn’t expect that,” McFarland said. The Bears selected Burden in the second round of this year’s draft. Damar Hamlin, who suffered a cardiac arrest during a game on Jan. 2, 2023, is entering his fifth NFL season and has spent his entire career with the Bills.

The Bears had to love seeing Burden make a big block on a veteran player like Hamlin. One of the things that made Burden a second-round pick that is he can do different things on the football field.

“You can use him in a lot of different ways,” Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said in May, per ChicagoBears.com. “The goal is to bring him here, figure out what he does well and see if we can find ways to get him touches where he can impact the game. We’re just trying to build depth and competitiveness at each position. They felt good about the value of that pick, and the more guys that can come in and contribute for us, the better.”

More on Luther Burden and Damar Hamlin

“The first thing everybody mentions is this is a competitive player,” Bears director of college scouting Breck Ackley said after the team drafted Burden. “So you put him in competitive situations, whether it’s in the weight room, in situations where he crosses the line on the field, and he wants to compete, and he’s passionate about football.”

Hamlin worked his way to being a starter after recovering from his cardiac arrest. In 2024, the former Pittsburgh star recorded 89 tackles and tied for the team lead in interceptions (two). During the offseason, Hamlin signed a one-year contract extension with the Bills.

“Last year, I feel like I was getting the training wheels off of myself in a way,” Hamlin explained. “Just coming back from literally dying on the field to playing again in a significant role, a starting role, playing a full season again for the first time, just feeling myself out…I feel like I had a lot of success on the field.”