Missouri Professional Athletes

Three Missouri alumni headlined NFL preseason activity this week, with storylines ranging from a promising return to a painful setback to a last-chance audition for a roster spot.

Burden Back in Chicago

Luther Burden III gave Bears fans a reason to exhale as the second-year wide receiver returned to practice during Chicago's final training camp session of 2026. His return came as the Bears wrapped up camp with roughly an hour of work, with two starters coming back healthy — Burden among them. After a draft pedigree that put the St. Louis native squarely in the spotlight, staying healthy through the final cuts stretch is exactly the kind of news a young receiver needs. The Bears' preseason window is nearly closed; Burden's return keeps his momentum intact heading into roster decisions.

Bryant's Ankle Clouds Patriots' O-Line Depth

The news was far grimmer in New England. Marcus Bryant, who had established himself as a top backup offensive tackle for the Patriots this summer, was carted off during Saturday night's preseason game against the Eagles after suffering an ankle injury on just the fourth official play from scrimmage. Bryant's absence is a real depth hit for a Patriots offensive line that was already navigating personnel questions. His injury compounds an already difficult week for New England's O-line, with the team losing another lineman to injury in the same contest. Whether Bryant's timeline threatens his roster standing — or simply his availability for Week 1 — remains to be seen.

Schrader Auditioning for His Broncos Life

In Denver, Cody Schrader's preseason finale became a make-or-break moment. Head Coach Sean Payton set the tone postgame by invoking The Voice — yes, the singing competition — as a metaphor for bubble players: "Hey, make us spin the chair." Schrader, fighting for a running back spot behind Denver's established depth, used the preseason closer as his platform. The undrafted-free-agent type who grinds for every snap, Schrader has the kind of profile that lives and dies in moments like these. Whether Payton's coaching staff was moved enough to keep him on the 53-man roster is the question Schrader is now waiting to answer alongside fellow Mizzou alums Kris Abrams-Draine and Kristian Williams, who are also in Denver's camp.

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The week underscored just how broadly Missouri's NFL footprint has grown — and how different the stakes are at each stop. Burden is building; Bryant is recovering; Schrader is hoping. That's the preseason in three acts, Missouri edition.

The most anticipated development of Luther Burden III's sophomore season arrived at the worst possible moment — not as a breakout, but as a setback.

The Missouri alum and Chicago Bears wide receiver suffered a groin injury during training camp that will sideline him for the entirety of the preseason, with a Week 1 return against the Panthers considered possible but far from certain. According to multiple reports, Burden is expected to miss roughly a month, putting the regular season opener squarely on the recovery timeline's razor's edge.

The timing stings. Burden had reportedly been one of the standout performers in spring practice, generating legitimate buzz as a candidate to emerge as Chicago's true No. 1 receiver heading into Year 2. That momentum now sits in a holding pattern, dependent on how quickly the groin responds to treatment and whether the Bears can afford to bring him back before he's fully ready.

What makes the injury particularly damaging isn't just Burden's absence — it's the context around it. Chicago traded away DJ Moore this offseason, leaving an already-thin wide receiver room even more exposed. With Burden unavailable, the Bears' passing attack depth is being stress-tested before a single regular-season snap has been played. If he can't go Week 1, the opening-game hole at receiver becomes a headline problem for new-look Chicago.

Fantasy football managers who drafted Burden on the strength of his spring hype are now navigating genuine uncertainty. Bleacher Report noted he could be "poised for a major season" — the operative word being could, with the injury now the central variable in that equation.

Elsewhere in Mizzou's NFL Alumni Week

The injury news dominated Missouri's NFL footprint this week, but the alumni roster remains one of the deeper in the league. Fellow Tiger Drew Lock got preseason reps with the Seattle Seahawks, rotating series against the Cowboys alongside Jalen Milroe after starter Sam Darnold was held out of the team's preseason opener. Lock, a former second-round pick, remains in the NFL quarterback mix heading into his latest training camp competition.

In Kansas City, linebacker Nick Bolton continued his offseason work with the Chiefs, with reports noting he's been drawing leadership inspiration from former NFL safety Tyrann Mathieu. Bolton, a consistent contributor in Kansas City's defense, enters the season as one of the more established Missouri alumni on an active roster.

The broader Mizzou contingent in the NFL — which spans 30-plus active players across the league — keeps the Tigers well-represented on Sundays. But for the next few weeks, all eyes will be on Burden and whether he can make it back to Soldier Field healthy for kickoff.

Three Missouri alumni turned heads in NFL training camps during the week of Aug. 2–8 — one for all the wrong reasons, two for exactly the right ones.

Luther Burden III: High Praise, Higher Stakes, Then a Scare

The week started on a high note for Bears wideout Luther Burden III. Chicago head coach Ben Johnson publicly compared Burden's mentality and approach to Amon-Ra St. Brown — one of the NFL's premier receivers — a ringing endorsement that immediately set expectations high for the second-year wideout out of Columbia.

Johnson's praise was effusive, but not everyone thought it was a gift. The comparison puts a target on Burden before he's played a meaningful regular-season snap, and it frames his 2026 campaign as a referendum on whether he can live up to All-Pro billing in just his sophomore year.

Then, on Aug. 8, the storyline took an anxious turn: Burden limped off the field during Bears training camp practice, setting off an injury scare that rattled Chicago fans still riding the optimism of Johnson's glowing words. Details on the severity of the injury were still emerging, but the sight of the young receiver favoring his leg was enough to cloud what had otherwise been a standout camp for him.

Marcus Bryant: Stepping Into the Spotlight in New England

In Foxborough, second-year tackle Marcus Bryant has been quietly making the case that he belongs in the starting lineup — and now he's getting his shot. Bryant stepped into the first-team role after Will Campbell went down with an injury during camp, and by all accounts, he hasn't blinked.

The story here isn't just the opportunity — it's the mindset. Bryant has carried a starter's approach into every rep regardless of his depth chart position, and that preparation is now paying dividends. For a Patriots offense under construction, Bryant's ability to seize the moment is exactly the kind of depth-chart movement New England needs to see from its young offensive linemen.

Armand Membou: Winning the Daily War at Jets Camp

Over in Florham Park, Jets tackle Armand Membou has been locked in a compelling daily battle with pass rusher David Bailey — and holding his own. Early in camp, Bailey was described as "a pain" for Membou, a sign that the young offensive lineman was being tested by one of the more disruptive edge presences in the Jets' defensive front.

By Tuesday's practice, the script had flipped: Membou got the better of Bailey in their latest one-on-one matchup, a small but telling data point about where the Missouri product's game is trending. For an offensive line that the Jets are counting on to protect their investment at quarterback, Membou's development is a genuine storyline to track into the preseason.

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Three Mizzou pass-catchers and blockers making noise in August — with the most urgent question now centered on Burden's health and whether Chicago's most exciting young weapon will be ready when it counts.