Rome Odunze sounds ready to go for the Chicago Bears on Sunday, even if the official injury report still has him listed as questionable.
Odunze was limited all week in practice, but he gave every indication Friday that he expects to be on the field against the Carolina Panthers. “I feel ready to go,” Odunze told Bears reporters on Friday.
“I doubt I'm questionable. I know there's a way everybody goes about things.
I feel pretty good, I was out there today. I plan on playing.”
He later explained that a strained calf in practice last week is what landed him on the injured list. Since then, he has missed most practices, though he was back as a limited participant Friday.
That’s a meaningful update for Chicago, which is trying to build on a big step forward under Ben Johnson last season. The Bears won the NFC North and made it to the divisional round before falling to the Los Angeles Rams, and they open against a Panthers team hoping to get its 2026 season off to a strong start.
Carolina enters the game with its own positive injury note after Jonathon Brooks was cleared to go. But Odunze’s status is one of the key storylines on the Chicago side.
The Bears will need him. With DJ Moore now in Buffalo, Odunze and second-year receiver Luther Burden are expected to carry the top of the passing game and help fill that void. If Odunze is active, it gives Chicago a much better chance to get that offense rolling early.
Still, the final call appears to rest with the Bears’ coaches and training staff. Odunze says he’s ready. Now it’s up to Chicago to decide whether to trust him.
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