Rome Odunze’s foot is back in the spotlight at exactly the wrong time for the Chicago Bears.
With the opener against the Carolina Panthers just a couple of days away, head coach Ben Johnson didn’t have the kind of update Chicago wanted to hear. Odunze is listed as day-to-day, won’t practice, and Johnson said the issue is different from the injury he dealt with last year. Even so, the Bears are "hopeful " he can play against Carolina.
That’s not exactly the clean bill of health you want this close to Week 1.
Odunze’s foot has already been a problem once before. Last season, a stress fracture knocked him out for the final five games of the regular season.
And when he spoke back in June, he made it clear the injury had changed things for him. He said he has a "new normal" when it comes to running on the foot, and added that a callus has altered the structure of it.
So even if Chicago is saying this is a different injury, it still lands as an uncomfortable reminder. Odunze is dealing with another foot issue after already losing a key stretch of last season to one, and that’s the kind of development a team trying to build its offense around him can’t ignore.
The Bears have more riding on Odunze now, too. DJ Moore is no longer around, and the passing game is expected to flow through Odunze, Colston Loveland, and Luther Burden. That’s the plan, but missing practice in the week before the opener is never a great sign.
Chicago may simply be being careful here, and there’s no reason to force anything this early. Still, the timing is rough.
The Bears expect big things from the Washington product in 2026, and that starts with staying on the field. Right now, this injury puts a wrinkle in those plans.
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Bears Fans Now Have The Official Word On Matt Suheys Death
Chicago Bears fans who remember the hard-nosed days of the 1980s got sad news recently with the death of former fullback Matt Suhey, a dependable piece of one of the franchises most celebrated teams. Suhey was found unresponsive in his Deerfield, Illinois home and later pronounced dead, closing the book on a career that included a key role in the Bears Super Bowl XX championship run, when he scored the opening touchdown in the title game.
The Lake County Coroners Office said there were no suspicious circumstances and reported that Suheys death was due to natural causes tied to a significant medical history. For Bears followers, it is a reminder of how much that era still means, and how quickly the teams icons from that championship team are moving into the realm of memory rather than game-day presence. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Get Needed Week 1 Relief But One Absence Still Looms
The Bears got a cleaner-than-expected start to the week in their first practice of the lead-up to Carolina, with DAndre Swift and Kyle Monangai both back on the field after their recent injury issues. Swift had been sidelined by cramping, while Monangai returned after working through a hyperextended knee, and no new injuries were reported as Chicago began the final stretch of its Week 1 prep.
One notable absence still hung over the session, though, as Rome Odunze did not participate because of a lower-body injury. For a Bears offense trying to settle in before facing the Panthers, the availability of a key young receiver will be worth tracking closely as the week goes on. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Fans Are Mourning A 1985 Champion As More Is Confirmed
The Bears lost one of their 1985 champions this week when former fullback Matt Suhey was found unresponsive in his Deerfield, Illinois home and later pronounced dead. The Lake County Coroners Office said there were no suspicious circumstances and indicated the death was expected to be listed as natural causes because of a significant medical history.
Suhey spent 10 seasons with Chicago and carved out a lasting place in franchise lore, including scoring the opening touchdown in Super Bowl XX. For a generation of Bears fans, his name is tied to that title team and to the rugged identity of an era that still looms large in team history, making the news hit especially hard. [Read more 🡒]