Some tough news for a former Pittsburgh Steelers’ first round pick. CB Artie Burns suffered a torn ACL, ending his season, per this report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Burns signed a one-year deal with the Bears in the offseason. As was often the case in Pittsburgh, his training camp seemed to get off to a good start. He was running as a starting corner in Chicago before his season-ending knee surgery. It’s an unfortunate reality of football being back and several key players around the league, including Cowboys’ DT Gerald McCoy and Bengals’ CB Trae Waynes, have seen their seasons end before they really even began.
Burns was taken 25th overall by the Steelers in the 2016 draft after missing out on CB William Jackson III, taken one pick ahead by the Cincinnati Bengals. Burns’ career spiraled downward after a decent rookie season. He struggled with his technique, confidence, and was repeatedly burned downfield. In 2019, he made just one start, failed to intercept a pass, and spent the final six weeks of the season as a gameday inactive.
Though his career never panned out in Pittsburgh, he was an easy player to root for given his difficult upbringing. Burns always looked excellent during the summer months and potentially a change of scenery in a new city like Chicago, without the weight of being a first round pick, would’ve helped his confidence and mindset. Unfortunately, we won’t get to find out this season. The Bears will now turn to rookie Jaylon Johnson to replace Burns in the lineup.
