Rome Odunze Injury Update From Thursday Practice Puts Bears WR on Track For Week 1

After we received some troubling injury news on Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze earlier in the week, there was some good news to report from practice on Thursday.

Odunze left a practice last week with an injury that was later revealed to be a calf issue. He did not practice at all Tuesday before being listed as a limited participant on the Bears' Wednesday injury report, which was an estimation.

Because it was an estimation, we couldn't put a ton of stock into it, so the update did little to put our fears to bed.

But Thursday was a new day and it provided a positive injury update on Odunze that puts him on track to play in Week 1.

Rome Odunze injury update

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze. — Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (15) signs autographs during Training Camp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

UPDATE: After this article was published, the Bears dropped their injury report for Thursday and it listed Odunze as limited.

While that's status quo from Wednesday, the Bears actually practiced on Thursday, so it still amounts to progress and a significant step in the right direction for Odunze.

END OF UPDATE

According to video from FOX Chicago reporter Devan Kaney, Odunze was taking part in practice on Thursday afternoon.

Odunze practicing. pic.twitter.com/1qyppKA0MV
— Devan Kaney (@Devan_Kaney) September 10, 2026

This amounts to the first legitimate practice participation Odunze has had since his injury last week.

The Bears will drop their second injury report of the week later in the day, but it would appear for now that Odunze will be no worse than limited, which would still be a good sign for him.

We'll update this section once that injury report drops.

A clean bill of health for skill positions

The Bears have had some troubling injuries on the offensive side of the ball this offseason with Odunze, Luther Burden, Kyle Monangai and D'Andre Swift.

Odunze had a calf injury, Burden suffered a groin issue, Monangai had a hyperextended knee and Swift scared us all with what was later discovered to be cramps.

Thankfully, with Odunze returning to practice on Thursday, all four players now appear to be healthy and the Bears won't be short-handed for the season-opener against the Carolina Panthers.

That's fantastic news for a matchup against a Panthers defense that could once again be much improved in 2026.

Rome Oduzne's 2026 outlook

Odunze looked to be on his way to cementing himself as the Bears' No. 1 wide receiver in the first half of last season.

He posted a pair of 100-yard games and notched six touchdowns before succumbing to a foot injury that derailed his promising sophomore campaign.

Odunze returned for the playoffs but made a minimal impact with four catches for 88 yards in two games.

Now that he's 100%, the Bears are hoping Odunze seals the deal and proves himself to be the No. 1 target the Bears thought they were getting when they drafted him with the No. 9 overall draft pick in 2024.

He's going to plenty of competition for targets, though, as Colston Loveland and Luther Burden are two ascending players who had impressive rookie seasons.

Regardless of who takes the mantle of the Bears' No. 1 pass-catcher, Chicago's group has a ton of promise and that is great news for third-year signal-caller Caleb Williams.

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