Bears WR Luther Burden reveals 'Darth Vader' incident was on accident

When Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden channeled the dark side of the force by putting his hand on Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon's throat during their first meeting last season, it didn't take long for it to go viral.

Burden was fined for the action after the 28-21 loss, but that moment quickly became a meme for Bears fans. Darth Vader edits began circulating while Star Wars music played underneath his highlights. Companies even began selling signs and stickers of the move. And it turns out the whole thing happened by accident.

In a video documenting his offseason training, Burden brought up the moment with fellow second-year Bears receiver JP Richardson and revealed he wasn't even going after Nixon. "The people love that [expletive]?" Burden asked when referencing the choking moment. "Little do they know it was on accident. It wasn't even for bro...I wasn't even talking to bro; he just walked up on me," before Burden demonstrated the action. "Now that's history on accident."

In the play leading up to the choke, Burden was battling hard with Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine on a run play. After the whistle, the two continued to go back and forth with teammates from both sides trying to de-escalate the situation. That's where Nixon comes in. The cornerback walks up on Burden, and the receiver puts his hand out on Nixon's neck briefly, all while still focusing on Valentine. The moment was over quickly, but all anyone remembers is the image of Burden "choking" Nixon, even though he had nothing to do with the situation.

The moment may have been an accident, but Burden leaned into the action. The young receiver showcased the same grip while celebrating a first-down a couple weeks later against the Packers, only without actually putting his hand on someone's throat. And Burden paid for the action, too, getting fined $11,075 after the fact.