The Chicago Bears closed out their final preseason practice with a pair of injuries that hit right where they can least afford it: on offense.
Rome Odunze and D'Andre Swift both went down during the workout, another rough reminder that injuries have become a familiar storyline for Chicago in 2026. The team has now dealt with multiple players getting hurt in the same practice more than once this year, and this latest setback arrived just before Week 1.
Swift’s injury came late in practice during a full-team period, according to The Chicago Tribune’s Sean Hammond. After he carried the ball on a first-and-10 from the offense’s own 1-yard line, he left the field while appearing to hold his midsection or core area.
"Swift exited toward the end of practice during a full team period. After carrying the ball on a first-and-10 from the offense’s own 1-yard line, Swift came off the field apparently holding at his midsection or core area."
Odunze’s issue was a foot injury, and it comes after he missed the final month of the 2026 regular season with the same problem. He finished the year with 44 catches for 661 yards and six touchdowns.
Swift, meanwhile, is coming off the best season of his career with Chicago. He ran for 1,087 yards and nine touchdowns while adding 299 receiving yards and one score.
The timing is especially awkward because Luther Burden III and Kyle Monangai are still working back after missing most of training camp with injuries of their own.
It’s still too early to sound any kind of alarm for the 2026 season, but the Bears are leaving practice with more questions than they wanted. Now they head into a long Labor Day weekend waiting on updates about two of their most important offensive players before Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers. The hope, at least for Chicago, is that neither injury turns out to be serious and both are ready to go.
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