Rome

Odunze

It was Odunze’s second quiet statline in as many weeks to begin the season. The difference this time, of course, was the Bears scored only three points after dropping 59 on the Panthers in Week 1. They did attempt 35 passes, 26 of which came from Caleb Williams before he injured his hamstring midway through the fourth quarter. If Williams misses Week 3 against the Eagles as is currently looking likely, it would be difficult to jam Odunze into the WR3 ranks.

Odunze came down with an impressive 47-yard contested catch near the end zone in the first half. He was quiet from there on out. Running a route on about 60 percent of the Bears’ drop backs, Odunze may have been limited by the calf injury that kept him out of practice for much of last week. Odunze will continue as a high-variance downfield option in a run-first Chicago offense next week against the Vikings. He should be treated as nothing more than a WR3 option in 12-team formats.

Odunze missed some practice time this week with the calf issue and was considered questionable headed into the weekend. He could see his snaps and routes limited if the calf is still bothering him. Odunze should be considered a high-variance flex option with a frightening floor against the Panthers. Bears declared QB Tyson Bagent, QB Miller Moss, S Xavier Woods, OT Ozzy Trapilo, DE Jamree Kromah, and OL Jordan McFadden inactive for the team’s season opener.

Odunze was limited by the calf issue throughout the week before being listed as questionable on Friday. He will suit up today but might not be at full strength. Odunze will be a high-risk WR3 for his 2026 opener. To no one’s surprise, Colston Loveland trails only Trey McBride in the tight end rankings, while Luther Burden is a speculative WR2.

This wouldn’t be news under normal circumstances but takes on additional meaning with Rome Odunze listed questionable for Week 1. It is of particular note that the Bears already have five wide receivers on the active roster and still chose to elevate another. While recent reports seemed to indicate a sense of optimism regarding Odunze’s potential availability, he could be on the wrong side of questionable given the recent transaction. Fantasy managers will want to confirm his status when the team releases its inactives 90 minutes prior to first kick. Luther Burden and Colston Loveland would be in line to benefit greatly should Odunze be unable to go.

Odzune was limited in all three practices this week. He appears to be on the right side of the questionable designation, but fantasy managers will still want to check on his status 90 minutes before kickoff. If he does miss Week 1, the Bears’ passing attack will run almost entirely through Colston Loveland and Luther Burden. Burden would be a top-24 wideout without Odunze. Loveland is likely penciled in as the TE2 for the week already.

Bears coach Ben Johnson called Odunze “day to day” earlier this week. He went down with the calf injury in practice late last week. The initial reports were all positive, but it’s not a guarantee that Odunze will be ready for Week 1. A full practice over the next two days would be a good sign, though not necessary for Odunze to play. Assuming he does suit up, Odunze will be a high-riskF FLEX play.

Johnson added that he was “hopeful” Odunze would go on Sunday. Check back on Wednesday to see if he actually hits an injury report, but Odunze hasn’t practiced yet this week and that’s certainly not a great sign even if we’re not rushing to rule him out just yet.

Odunze suffered a leg injury on Thursday. The Athletic’s Dan Wiederer said later in the day that the belief is that Odunze “should be all good” after the injury scare, but it’s something to keep an eye on this week. The Bears won’t release their first injury report until Wednesday, which could serve as the first clear look at where things stand for Odunze for Week 1 against the Panthers. If he is unable to go, second-year players Luther Burden and Colston Loveland could both see a slight uptick in target volume.

Let it be known that these are “preliminary indications” from Wiederer, but Bears fans and fantasy managers alike can breathe a sigh of relief. The team will now go on break over the weekend, and coach Ben Johnson will address the media sometime next week. The first injury report comes out on Wednesday, so we should have an update by then, at the latest. It should be noted that Odunze injured his left foot last season. Today’s injury is to his right leg, so the two issues are unrelated. This is not a re-injury. For now, there is reason for cautious optimism regarding Odunze’s health.