The good news for the Chicago Bears is the team is set to head into their Week 1 matchup against the Carolina Panthers with a healthy squad (for the most part). The bad news is wide receiver Rome Odunze may not be ready for the first game of the season.
According to head coach Ben Johnson, Odunze is considered “day to day” and will not practice Tuesday.
“Team is hopeful he’ll be good to go Sunday at Carolina,” ESPN’s Courtney Cronin tweeted out. “He did not aggravate the foot injury that he dealt with last season.”
What makes matters concerning? Johnson added that this injury is “something different” than the previous foot injury and did not disclose what the injury is.
Ben Johnson Provides Key Injury Update on Rome Odunze
Whatever the case may be, the Bears should not rush Rome Odunze back on the field. If he has to miss a game or two, let him rest. Otherwise, if he’s on the field in Week 1 and isn’t 100% healthy, there’s a chance he can reaggravate his injury and miss an extended period of time.
Ben Johnson commented on Odunze’s offseason on September 1st, calling him ‘Mr. Consistency,’ saying, “Mr. Consistency, you know, there’s this level of … I know the dialogue about his foot and all that and yet, I mean, you didn’t see any setback from that regard. I thought he looked completely healthy.”
It sucks that Odunze suffered another setback when the season starts in less than a week, but it’s better to wait until he’s 100% ready to go than throw him in with some discomfort.
Johnson Comments on Caleb Williams Before the Start of the 2026 Season
Later in Ben Johnson’s press conference on September 8th, he talked about his thoughts on Caleb Williams heading into Year 3, saying, “He’s doing all the things the good quarterbacks do … He had a really good camp and I’m really looking forward to seeing how it comes together for him over 17 weeks.”
Williams was recently projected to be the 9th-best QB at the end of the season in NFL insider Albert Breer’s latest article with input from NFL coaches, general managers, and league executives.
“This pick isn’t just about what he did with Ben Johnson last year, but the direction the Bears were headed as the year ended,” Breer wrote. “And that’s why he made a jump, even with guys that left him out of the top five. ‘Caleb is an awesome talent,’ said one AFC offensive coordinator. ‘In a year or two, if he stays the course with Ben Johnson, he will be top three. His physical talent is freakish.’ Which is to say he’s good now—and should get a lot better.”
The sky’s the limit for Williams in his second season in Johnson’s offensive system, and the hope is Odunze is ready to return to the field sooner rather than later.
Bears’ Ben Johnson Provides Key Injury Update on Rome Odunze Before Panthers Game