Rome Odunze’s foot injury may be more debilitating than either he or the Chicago Bears are letting on.
The Bears’ second-year wide receiver was listed as active heading into Chicago’s Week 15 home game against the Cleveland Browns, but as he went through warmups, he re-aggravated the same injury that had already sidelined him the week before.
Odunze missed the first game of his NFL career Week 14 against Green Bay. He practiced on a limited basis leading up to the Browns game this past week and appeared ready to go, so he must’ve either suffered a setback injury or realized while warming up that he couldn’t play, after all.
Dr. David Chao, a renowned orthopedic surgeon who breaks down injuries online under the moniker of “Pro Football Doc,” pointed out that this is often the case with stress-related foot injuries. Players can look relatively decent in controlled work at practice, but game speed is an all together different beast.
Pro Football Doc Says Rome Odunze’s Foot Injury Will Likely Require Surgery Next Offseason
Chao wrote on X on December 14 that Odunze “won’t be over his foot stress fracture issues until surgery and offseason.” That doesn’t sound good.
According to Bears head coach Ben Johnson, Odunze “reaggravated” his foot during pregame warmups.
“I really don’t know the extent of it,” Johnson said when asked about Odunze after Chicago’s 31-3 win over Cleveland. “Something like that happens right before a game and you’re solely focused on getting the next guy ready to perform at a high level.”
It was the second week in a row the Bears saw a player who was presumably going to start get injured warming up before a game. Prior to Chicago’s matchup against the Packers, starting nickel corner Kyler Gordon reaggravated his groin and wound up back on injured reserve.
Before the injury slowed him down, Odunze was having a career year with the Bears. Through 14 weeks, he led the team in receiving with 44 catches for 661 yards and six touchdowns.
At 6-foot-3 and 214 pounds, he’s built like a true outside No. 1, and Chicago has used him that way. He’s been on the field for the vast majority of the team’s offensive snaps, lining up on the boundary, in the slot and everywhere in between.
The Bears are currently the No. 2 seed in the NFC, and they have a crucial three-game stretch coming up to close out the season. They have to play the Packers again, as well as the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions. They also have playoff aspirations. Thus, the health of their WR1 is hugely important moving forward.
What Odunze’s Injury Could Mean for the Bears
GettyWR Rome Odunze of the Chicago Bears will likely need foot surgery this next offseason.
Put simply: Odunze changes how defenses line up and attack the Bears. Safeties have to respect his ability to win deep, and corners can’t crowd the line or sit on short routes. Thus, even when Odunze isn’t the primary read, his presence opens throwing lanes and keeps coverage honest.
Quarterback Caleb Williams and Odunze have also developed solid chemistry, and being without one of his favorite targets isn’t ideal for QB1, either.
Odunze has a pretty good track record, though. Injuries generally haven’t followed him around. In college at Washington, he earned a reputation for being tough, even playing through a serious chest injury late in his final season.
If Chao’s assessment holds, Rome’s foot issue could remain a nuisance all season, and we may only see him in limited amounts — if we see him at all.
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