Rome Odunze’s Injury Update: Will Bears WR Play Against the Texans?

Bears’ rookie wide receiver is questionable this weekend in a highly anticipated matchup with the Houston Texans. 

Rome Odunze, the Chicago Bears’ rookie wide receiver, suffered an apparent knee injury during the Week 1 game against the Tennessee Titans. While blocking during the game’s final moments, he appeared to get hurt, leaving the field limping. He is currently undergoing an MRI to determine the severity of the injury and his status for the upcoming game against the Houston Texans remains uncertain,

Odunze Seen Limping to Sideline in Week 1 Victory

Eberflus didn’t specify when the injury occurred but mentioned it happened during a blocking play. It may have occurred on a screen pass to Velus Jones, where Odunze appeared to be rolled up by the ball carrier. Although he didn’t leave the field immediately, he exited just one play later, hopping to the sideline, as Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic noted. Despite hobbling during the game, Odunze seemed to improve afterward. Scott Lewis of the Barber’s Chair Network reported seeing no noticeable limp from the rookie following the win.

Bears WR Rome Odunze's last play on the field was D'Andre Swift's 20-yard run with 4:22 left in the 4th quarter. You can see him hopping off to the sideline at the end of the play pic.twitter.com/kVJ52xkgqb

— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) September 9, 2024

The Bears hope the MRI is purely precautionary and that the injury is minor. Odunze, who had been targeted four times, wrapped up the day with one catch for 11 yards on a deflected pass.

Head coach Matt Eberflus expressed concern about Odunze’s knee, but more information is expected to be available by midweek.

Odunze is Expected to be an Impact Rookie for Chicago

The Bears selected former Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze at No. 9 in the 2024 NFL draft.

The 6’3″, 215-pound Odunze had a standout career at Washington, playing in 40 games with 30 starts over four seasons. During that span, he amassed 214 receptions for 3,272 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Rome Odunze 2023 Season Highlights. pic.twitter.com/yHIx4pTtgT

— ImBearingDown (@ImBearingDown) April 26, 2024

In his final season, Odunze earned AP First-Team All-American honors and was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s top receiver. He set career highs with 92 catches, 1,640 yards, and 13 touchdowns. His 1,640 receiving yards led all FBS receivers and set a new single-season record at Washington.

Odunze is expected to play a significant role in the Bears’ offense as a rookie, and the more time he has on the field, the more experience he’ll gain as a possible impact rookie wide receiver for the Bears.