Bears Lose Rookie WR Rome Odunze to Injury After MRI Results

Getty Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze.

The Chicago Bears will have to spend at least a few weeks without rookie first-round pick Rome Odunze in their receiving corps following his injury in Week 1.

Speaking one day after Chicago’s 24-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus revealed to reporters on September 9 that Odunze had suffered a knee injury during Week 1’s game that warranted some “concern” from the team. He added the No. 9 overall pick would undergo an MRI to determine the severity.

Later in the evening, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the results of Odunze’s MRI: A sprained MCL that would give him a “week to week” status with the Bears. Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz added context to the type of sprain.

“Sources: The initial belief is that #Bears rookie WR Rome Odunze suffered a Grade 1 knee sprain during Sunday’s win over the #Titans,” Schultz wrote on X. “Odounze will seek a second opinion, but this is [the] best-case scenario for the talent rookie receiver.”

Odunze likely sustained his injury on the second play of the Bears’ second-to-last drive of the fourth quarter. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams dumped off a short pass on the right to Velus Jones Jr., who took it upfield for an 8-yard gain. As Titans defenders Jack Gibbens and Harold Landry III tackled Jones, though, the pile crashed awkwardly into the legs of Odunze, who had been setting a block ahead of Jones.

Odunze did not play another snap.

Odunze’s injury — which carries a recovery time of one to three weeks — should allow him to avoid a move to the injured reserve list. While he heals, though, the Bears will need to make some adjustments to their receiving corps to cover his snaps.

Tyler Scott Could Get Chance With Rome Odunze Out

The Bears will still have their top two wide receivers — D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen — available for Week 2’s matchup with the Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football. Still, Chicago will need reinforcements after having just five receivers active in Week 1, and the most logical choice for more snaps is 2023 fourth-round pick Tyler Scott.

Scott showed improvement during his second NFL training camp with the Bears, but the team left him inactive for their season opener against the Titans in favor of Jones and DeAndre Carter — who are their primary return specialists. Now, it seems all but certain he will be active in Week 2 with Odunze unavailable for the foreseeable future, and that could create a massive opportunity for him to leave a lasting impression.

Scott caught just 17 passes for 168 yards as a rookie in 2023 and had several missed opportunities across his 32 total targets, including at least one dropped touchdown. He appeared to have improved his ball-tracking ability in camp, though, which should help him maximize his 4.4-second speed as he works the deep field for the Bears offense.

That said, Scott might not be the only one competing for more reps without Odunze.

Could Bears Call Up Collin Johnson to 53-Man Roster?

Scott should be active in Week 2’s game against the Texans, but the Bears might also want more reinforcements on their roster with one of their starters out of the picture. They also just so happen to have a good elevation choice in veteran Collin Johnson.

Johnson showed out during the Bears’ first preseason game against — coincidentally — the Texans, catching three passes for 56 yards and two touchdowns with at least one physical grab that took advantage of his 6-foot-6, 222-pound frame. He would have likely pushed for the 53-man roster had he not also suffered an injury in the game that kept him sidelined for the remainder of the 2024 preseason.

Still, the Bears brought him back after the cutdown on their practice squad alongside former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Samori Toure. And now that he has healed, the Bears could once again put him to the test against the Texans and elevate him to the game-day roster in Week 2 to reinforce the position while they are without Odunze.

If the Bears are going to call up Johnson, they will most likely do it during their usual window on the day before their game — which would be Saturday, September 14.