Rome Odunze figures to be a focal point of Ben Johnson’s high-flying Bears offense for years to come, so long as he can stay healthy. Injury has once again halted Odunze, and there are questions about whether or not the third-year WR will be able to play this Sunday in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers.
Below, we will deliver an Odunze injury update and look at when the WR will likely return.
Rome Odunze injury update: When will Bears WR return?
Some reports state that Odunze is dealing with a calf issue. Other reports are saying the problem is with his foot.
Whatever the reason for Odunze’s limitations at Bears practice this week, the injury does not appear to be a major one.
Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams wrote Wednesday that Odunze is “trending toward playing Sunday” when the Bears face the Panthers in Charlotte. If Odunze is unable to go Sunday, it is almost certain that he will be fine for the Bears’ Week 2 game against the Vikings.
Here is a look at the Bears schedule for the early portion of the season.
- Week 1 Sunday, September 13: Bears at Panthers
- Week 2 Sunday, September 20: Vikings at Bears
- Week 3 Monday, September 28: Eagles at Bears
- Week 4 Sunday, October 4: Jets at Bears
Odunze was injured in practice on September 3 and was “limited” at practice on September 9. The 24-year-old missed five games down the stretch of last season with a stress fracture in his right foot, but the Bears have maintained that this more recent injury is unrelated to the 2025 foot injury.
Rome Odunze odds
Odunze props for Week 1 against the Panthers are available at Fanatics Sportsbook. The 2024 first round draft pick has anytime TD odds of +210.
His receiving yardage Over/Under has been set at 40.5 with juice on the Over.
Odunze is coming off a season in which he caught 44 balls for 661 yards and 6 TDs in 12 games played. His best receiving day last season came in Week 2 against the Lions when he had 7 catches for 128 yards and 2 TDs.
He is rostered in 96 percent of Yahoo fantasy football leagues.
Bears odds
The Bears are looking to build off a highly-successful Year 1 under head coach Ben Johnson.
Chicago went 11-6 last season and won a playoff game, a 31-27 Wild Card victory over the rival Packers.
The Bears’ win total at Fanatics has been set at 9.5 with juice on the Under. Chicago is -105 to make the playoffs.
Johnson’s squad has +2200 Super Bowl odds and is +310 to win the highly competitive NFC North.
Complex Bets is the premier destination for the intersection of sports, culture, and fandom, featuring original programming for the modern bettor and trader. Join our community of over 1 million fans by following @complexbets on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and X, and subscribe on YouTube for exclusive storytelling across sports and prediction markets.
