The Chicago Bears have officially provided an update on Rome Odunze ahead of their Week 1 matchup with the Carolina Panthers, and his status is worth watching closely…
Odunze is dealing with a calf injury and was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday’s estimated injury report – The Bears did not practice, meaning the designation is based on what the team believes his participation would have been.
That keeps the door open for Odunze to suit up against Carolina, but the Bears now have a legitimate injury situation to monitor as their season opener gets closer.
Bears still need Odunze
Rome Odunze enters his third NFL season as one of the most important pieces of the Chicago Bears offense…
The Bears’ current depth chart lists him as the starting receiver opposite second year standout Luther Burden III. Kalif Raymond is listed behind Odunze, while Jahdae Walker is behind Burden.
That matters because Chicago has already lost one major piece of its receiving corps this offseason after trading DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills.
Odunze is expected to take on a bigger role in the offense alongside Burden and tight end Colston Loveland. Keeping him healthy gives quarterback Caleb Williams another established target as Ben Johnson prepares to begin his second season with the organization.
Odunze caught 44 passes for 661 yards and six touchdowns in 12 starts last season despite dealing with a foot injury – He missed the final five regular season games before returning for the playoffs, where he caught four passes for 88 yards across two games.
The Bears had been encouraged by his health entering this season.
Johnson specifically praised Odunze on Sept. 1, calling him “Mr. Consistency” and saying he had seen no setback from the foot issue that affected him last year.
This current injury is also reportedly unrelated to that previous foot problem, according to Johnson. That distinction should provide at least some relief for Bears fans.
Week 1 status remains the big question
The Chicago Bears open the season Sunday, giving Rome Odunze only a few more opportunities to get back onto the field before the Bears have to make their final decisions for the opener.
Now the Bears don’t necessarily need Odunze to carry the offense by himself. They have Luther Burden, Colston Loveland, D’Andre Swift and several other options around Caleb Williams.
But there is a major difference between having Odunze available as the starting outside receiver and having to adjust the rotation at the last minute.
Chicago’s depth chart has Odunze firmly in the starting lineup, and the Bears spent much of the offseason building toward a receiving group centered around him and Burden.
If Odunze is able to return to practice later this week, the concern could fade quickly. If he remains sidelined, however, his status will become one of the biggest storylines heading into Sunday’s opener…
For now, the Bears are still hopeful their starting receiver will be ready. But after Wednesday’s injury designation, Odunze’s Week 1 status is officially something Chicago has to watch.
Bears Announce Rome Odunze News Ahead of Week 1