Rome Odunze’s status for Week 1 is the kind of early-season note that can shape a game before it starts. The Bears wide receiver was listed as questionable for Sunday’s season opener in Charlotte after a calf injury limited him in each of the three practices this week.
That matters because Odunze is already one of Caleb Williams’ most trusted targets, and the Bears are clearly weighing his short-term availability against the bigger picture. Ben Johnson said before Friday’s practice that the plan was to get Odunze on the field on Thursday and Friday, then assess where he stood. Johnson also said Odunze had looked good, but added that the Bears have a long season ahead and want to do what is right for him for the long term.
Why the Bears are being cautious
The caution is easy to understand. Last season, Odunze missed some time with a foot injury, and this new calf issue surfaced last week. Even with the Bears entering Week 1, the team does not appear interested in pushing a key receiver through a situation that could linger. A questionable designation is not a guarantee that he will sit, but it does signal that Chicago is treating the decision carefully.
Press Taylor reinforced why Odunze is such an important piece of the offense. He said Odunze is somebody the quarterback has great comfort with and great trust in because he has played so many snaps for the Bears and, early in his NFL career, has already built that kind of reliability. For a team built around Caleb Williams and a young passing game, that kind of trust is not a small thing.
Odunze and Williams arrived in Chicago together in 2024 as the No. 1 and No. 9 overall picks, and their connection has become part of the Bears’ offensive identity. Odunze’s first season was productive enough to show why the team values him so highly: 44 catches, 661 yards and six touchdowns in 12 regular-season games.
If he is available Sunday, it gives Chicago another layer in a passing attack that needs all the stability it can get in Week 1. If he is not, the Bears will be asking how much of that early chemistry they can preserve while managing a receiver they clearly see as part of the long-term plan.
Either way, Friday’s designation says plenty. The Bears may be opening the season, but with Rome Odunze, they are already thinking beyond it.
