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Zaire Franklin says Luther Burden quit after Packers crush Bears 31-7

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The Bears receiver had said Chicago wanted to make Green Bay quit. The Packers linebacker answered after a five-takeaway win at Lambeau Field.

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WhyNFL Sports DeskPublished
Luther Burden in a 2025 archive photograph.
Luther Burden in 2025 (archive photo). Photo: All-Pro Reels from District of Columbia, USA / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Green Bay Packers linebacker Zaire Franklin turned a Chicago Bears receiver’s pregame boast back on him after Sunday’s 31-7 rout at Lambeau Field, saying Luther Burden III was the one who gave up.

The exchange adds an edge to a rivalry that now has both clubs at 3-2 after five weeks. Burden had set it up during the week, when he said coach Ben Johnson wanted to beat Green Bay badly and that the goal was to “make them quit.” The Packers answered by forcing five turnovers and holding Chicago to a single touchdown.

Franklin did not let the comment go. Speaking to reporters after the win on Sunday, October 11, he said of the second-year receiver: “He quit today. He didn’t wanna play no more.” Matt Schneidman reported that Franklin also said Burden had never done anything in the league.

Whether Burden would answer was not known on Sunday evening.

How the game backed him up

Franklin finished with nine tackles, one of them for a loss, along with a pass breakup and a forced fumble, as the Green Bay defense smothered a Chicago offense playing without quarterback Caleb Williams, who was inactive. Tyson Bagent completed 12 of 21 passes for 87 yards with two interceptions, and the Bears managed 246 yards of offense to the Packers’ 428.

Burden caught four of the six passes thrown his way for 47 yards. On the other side, Jordan Love went 25 of 31 for 367 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover.

Chicago opened the season by scoring 59 points in Week 1, but the offense has struggled since Williams was hurt in Week 2. Johnson’s earlier talk of record-breaking offense now sits next to a seven-point afternoon in Green Bay.

What comes next

The Bears visit the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, October 18, at 1:00 p.m. EDT. The Packers host the Dallas Cowboys that night at 8:20 p.m. EDT. The full box score is in the Bears-Packers Game Center.

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