Rome Odunze's Latest Injury Comments Throw Cold Water On Biggest Minicamp Concern

The Bears' receiver scared fans with his comments of a "new normal". It turns out, the media was most to blame for the anxiety.

Jun 11, 2026; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (15) run on the field during Minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze is going to be just fine. He caused a scare when he mentioned getting used to his "new normal" regarding his foot injury when speaking to the media during OTAs, but it turns out we all overreacted to those comments.

Odunze took a much different approach when speaking to the media about the injury, a stress fracture that cost him five games last season and slowed him in a few others, this afternoon.

Full answer from Rome Odunze clarifying his “new normal” comment about his foot injury: https://t.co/8I6rR5ahhA pic.twitter.com/nO3FG61JtA

— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) July 30, 2026

"My foot feels amazing. It's honestly not even something I think about anymore, which I think is the best thing you can have after an injury," Odunze said. "I know 'new normal' has a bunch of connotations of 'chronic' and 'severe', but it's not like that at all. I've went through my process of recovery and rehab and it's been great."

It certainly sounds like Odunze is ready to bounce back strong after a disappointing second-half performance last season. He'll look to pick up where he left off before suffering the injury, as he was on pace for nearly 1150 yards before popping up on the injury report after the team's Week 8 matchup against Baltimore.

He played through the injury the rest of the way, which was a major testament to his toughness. However, he didn't look the same over the home stretch.

Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (15) reacts after catching a pass against the Los Angeles Rams during the second quarter of an NFC Divisional Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Odunze has reportedly been lighting up training camp thus far

CHGO's Adam Hoge mentioned that Odunze was looking great catching passes from Caleb Williams at today's practice. He also looks just fine running on the injury, with no notable difference in his speed, acceleration, or planting ability from the small sample size that we've been given thus far.

Rome Odunze's new normal.

Foot looks great.. 😭 pic.twitter.com/DX1YXJBdUR

— Dave (@davebftv) July 29, 2026

With that said, Odunze still has some work to do in year three. The Bears are going to be counting on him heavily after the team shipped veteran receiver DJ Moore out of town this offseason.

There rightfully should be some concern surrounding his ability to make contested catches at a similar rate that he did so at the collegiate level (considering that was one of his main calling cards at the University of Washington). Eliminating the untimely drops would also go a long way in seeing him reach his potential.

However, any concern surrounding his foot can be effectively eliminated at this point. Conversations surrounding his foot injury are a relative nothing burger.

Comments made by players regarding their health status between the months of February through June should always be taken with a grain of salt. But hey, media blowing things out of proportion in May is normal, and it's far from new.