The Chicago Bears took the lead in the NFC North with a Week 16 win over the Green Bay Packers, and with the Detroit Lions' loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers they have clinched a playoff spot. Winning the division is in their control over the final two weeks, and they can seal it up in Week 17.
So to a certain extent, and Week 18 could end up meaning nothing to the Bears' standing, doing everything possible to ensure any injured players are as healthy as possible for the playoffs will become a priority.
Despite the brief idea he would only end up missing one game due to a lingering foot issue that put him on the injury report for several weeks beforehand, Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze has now missed three games and it's unclear when he will be able to suit up again.
What is clear and known is Odunze was reportedly playing with a stress fracture in his foot for weeks, and the downturn in his production after a fast start reflected his being less than full strength. If getting him back to full health for the playoffs requires him missing the final two games of regular season too, then so be it.
Ben Johnson (kind of )offers update on Rome Odunze's return timeline
On Tuesday, heading into Week 17 against the San Francisco 49ers, head coach Ben Johnson was asked directly "what have you guys had Rome doing for the past week?"
"Rehabbing", Johnson said.
The reporter followed up, clearly looking for a more elaborate answer, by asking "Is he on a bike? "Is he running?" What has he been able to do?"
"We’ve been working through his rehab process", Johnson said, through a sly grin. "He’s right on track, he’s going to be in a good spot."
Johnson was then asked "What do you mean he's going to be in a good spot?"
"He’s going to be able to help us this year", Johnson said.
A coach being vague about injuries and when an injured player might return is nothing new. Johnson's demeanor in responding to the inquiry about Odunze shows he was playing the back-and-forth game without malice and was going to say as little as possible.
Read more: Ben Johnson had update on one last key Bears defender who could return from injury
Odunze seems unlikely to play in Week 17, and even if the Bears have something at stake, there'd really be nothing to gain by having him play in Week 18 against the Detroit Lions. So we are on track to not see the Bears' No. 1 wide receiver again until the playoffs, and Johnson is keeping that door open while maintaining the necessary layer of vagueness.