Things are certainly not looking 100% great for Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze, as he works through his calf injury.
Last week, before the Labor Day weekend break, Odunze injured his calf and spent this week limited in practice. The real question is whether he is actually going to take the field against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1.
No one in the organization has given clear answers about it. Things didn't really get cleared up on the last day of practice before the Panthers game.
Still way too many questions about Rome Odunze's status in Bears-Panthers game
Bears head coach Ben Johnson was asked about what he has seen from Odunze in practice and how he looks for the game. Johnson wasn't very clear in his answer, but he certainly dropped a subtle hint about what's to come.
"Our plan was to get him practice yesterday and today, and we'll assess where he's at after that," Johnson said via CHGO. "You know, he's looked good from my perspective, but, you know, we 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."
First thought on the answer Johnson gave: Odunze isn't playing in this game. Johnson's talk of the "long term" clearly indicates that Odunze probably won't play against the Panthers.
Chicago released their final injury report before their Week 1 showdown in Carolina. That didn't help, as Odunze was listed as questionable with a calf injury.
Oduzne missed the last month of the 2025 regular season due to a foot injury. Unfortunately, injuries keep following him around, which frustrates the fan base.
The Bears really need Odunze to step up and be the WR1 they expected him to be when the Bears selected him ninth overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. He's got all the skill sets to do it and looked like he was going to be a 1,000-yard receiver last year before his foot injury.
If Odunze can't go, that would mean Luther Burden III and Kalif Raymond get elevated as the top two guys, with rookie Zavion Thomas and Jahdae Walker right behind them. Tight end Colston Loveland most likely gets more targets from Caleb Williams in the passing game.
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Every minute leading up to the inactive list being released is going to be nerve-wracking for the Bears fan base to deal with, as they wait to see Odunze's status. Another missed game by him is only going to cause quite a stir among the fan base.
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