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Complete Chicago Bears Inactives for Week 1 vs. Carolina Panthers

Rome Odunze will be available to the Bears offense despite his calf injury but their defense is not so fortunate with health issues.
Gene Chamberlain|
The game status of Bears safety Xavier Woods means a start for a rookie draft pick.
The game status of Bears safety Xavier Woods means a start for a rookie draft pick. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

Concern over wide receiver Rome Odunze proved unwarranted for the Bears, although they haven't escaped all injury issues for the opener.

Odunze is active and available to play in the opener against the Carolina Panthers after a calf injury he termed as light, and a week when he did not go through a full practice but did work on a limited basis every day. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport early Sunday had reported Odunze was expected to play and nothing changed.

The Bears had prepared for the worst on Saturday by elevating fleet receiver Kaden Davis from the practice squad. It seems a minor note but in the heat and humidity in Charlotte, elevating as many offensive and defensive linemen as possible is preferable because they're more likely to need to come out of the game for a play or two.

The Bears didn't escape injuries totally as they will be without starting safety Xavier Woods because of a groin injury suffered earlier in the week. Woods practiced Wednesday but then went through only limited practices on Thursday and Friday.

This situation puts extreme pressure on rookie Malik Muhammad. Woods signed on Aug. 7. His replacement is Cam Lewis and it was Lewis who took most of the practice reps at the safety position opposite rookie Dillon Thieneman in the two weeks leading up to the opener, as well as through much of training camp.

With Lewis expected to start at safety, it leaves slot cornerback open to Muhammad for his debut. He has played there through most of training camp and preseason because of Kyler Gordon's calf injury, but this also means two rookie starters in the Bears' secondary. Only the Miami Dolphins had two rookie starters in the secondary per ESPN depth charts entering game week.

Also, tackle Ozzy Trapilo will not be active for the game. He has surprised with an early recovery from a patellar tendon injury but has had limited exposure to contact work with the team. Theo Benedet will be the swing tackle. The Bears could always opt to put guard Joe Thuney at tackle if there is an emergency with two tackles out.

The other inactives are backup quarterback Tyson Bagent, defensive end Jamree Kromah, guard Jordan McFadden, and defensive tackle Jayden Loving.

Bagent has a back injury and did not practice all week. Case Keenum will be backup and the third QB will be Miller Moss, who was brought back to the practice squad on Saturday. As an inactive third quarterback, Moss is allowed to enter the game only if there is an injury to both Caleb Williams and Keenum.

Carolina's inactives are safety Zakee Wheatley, defensive tackle Cam Jackson, linebacker Patrick Jones II, tackle Albert Reese, tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders, wide receiver John Metchie and third QB Haynes King.
Jones was the only player among those considered a starter, but Jackson is a key player in their line rotation.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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