The Chicago Bears plan to have starting wide receiver Rome Odunze available when they take the field in Carolina to kick off their 2026 NFL season.
According to ESPN’s Ian Rapoport, Odunze will expectedly play against the Panthers in Sunday’s season opener after the Bears limited him all week in practice with a calf injury and listed him as questionable on their final injury report for Week 1’s matchup.
“#Bears WR Rome Odunze, questionable with a calf injury, is expected to go today against the Panthers, source said,” Rapoport wrote early Sunday morning on X.
Odunze strained his right calf in practice on September 3 and worked as a limited participant in all three of Week 1’s practices, but the Bears have expressed optimism about his opening-day status throughout the week.
“Our plan was to get him to practice yesterday and today, and we’ll assess where he’s at after that,” Bears head coach Ben Johnson said before Friday’s practice. “He’s looked good from my perspective, but we’ve also got a long season coming up on us, and we want to do what’s right for him for the long term as well.”
Odunze also left little room for doubt after Friday’s practice.
“I plan on playing,” Odunze said.
The Bears will kick off against the Panthers at 1 p.m. ET today.
Rome Odunze is Playing, But Bears Could Play it Safe
Odunze will suit up against the Panthers on Sunday, but the Bears could still play it safe with their starting wide receiver and hold him to a pitch count in their regular-season opener to avoid any injury setbacks.
Odunze missed five games in 2025 with a lingering stress fracture in his left foot, which limited the former top-10 pick to just 44 receptions for 661 yards and six touchdowns on 90 targets. While his new calf injury is affecting his right leg, it could still give the Bears pause heading into a season in which Odunze will play a more critical role.
If the Bears limit Odunze’s snaps in Week 1, they will have other wideouts available to catch passes from quarterback Caleb Williams in their first game against the Panthers.
Despite an early-August injury, Luther Burden III cleared the injury report and has the green light to play against the Panthers. The Bears will also have veteran Kalif Raymond, third-round rookie Zavion Thomas, Jahdae Walker and Kaden Davis (practice-squad elevation) available along with their star-studded tight end room.
Bears Listed 3 Other Players as Questionable vs. Panthers
The Bears have more injury decisions to make on Sunday than just Odunze.
On their final injury report, the Bears also listed backup quarterback Tyson Bagent (back), left tackle Ozzy Trapilo (knee) and veteran safety Xavier Woods (groin) as questionable to play against the Panthers.
Bagent seems the least likely of the four to play on Sunday. He missed the entire week of practice with his back injury, while the team also elevated Miller Moss from the practice squad as a potential fallback option behind Williams and Case Keenum.
Trapilo may also be a long shot to play, despite his miraculous recovery from the ruptured patellar tendon that he sustained in January. While Trapilo has impressed with his recovery, the Bears won’t want to rush back their 2025 second-round pick, especially knowing that he has the potential to solidify himself as their long-term starting left tackle.
The Bears will announce their weekly inactives roughly an hour before kickoff.
Bears Make Final Decision on WR Rome Odunze’s Status vs. Panthers