Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze had to do a little cleanup after his recent comments about his foot injury sparked confusion. The phrase “new normal” made it sound like something more serious, but Odunze made it clear that wasn’t the case.
“I know 'new normal,' that has a bunch of connotations of like chronic and severe, like, never going to be the same," Odunze said via The Score's Chris Emma. "It's not like that at all. Like, I'm completely fine."
That clarification matters because Odunze’s 2026 outlook is already drawing plenty of attention. He missed the final five games of the regular season after attempting to play through the foot issue, and even though he returned in the playoffs, he wasn’t the same player Bears fans had been waiting to see. He finished the season with 44 catches for 661 yards and six touchdowns.
Before the injury, though, Odunze was on a much bigger pace. He was tracking toward his first 1,000-yard season in the Caleb Williams era and looked like he was starting to put everything together. Then the foot injury interrupted what had been building into a breakout.
Now, with DJ Moore traded, the path looks clearer for Odunze to see more work in the passing game. That alone has him positioned for a big Year 3 if he can stay on the field.
There is one wrinkle. Luther Burden III has been getting plenty of buzz, and some believe he could end up as WR1 over Odunze.
But Odunze still brings a complete skill set to the table. He has speed, strong hands, and the ability to go up and take the ball away from a defender.
That combination is why Bears fans have every reason to be excited about what Odunze could do in 2026. If the health holds, he looks ready for the kind of leap Chicago has been waiting for.
In Other News...
Bears Are Sending A Clear Message With This Unusual Preseason Plan
The Bears are taking an unusual approach to preseason work this summer, lining up three separate weekend road trips for joint practices instead of keeping everything close to home. The schedule will send Chicago to work with the Browns, Bengals and Titans, giving Ben Johnsons team a different kind of training camp rhythm and a chance to see how it handles the grind of being away from Soldier Field.
Johnson sees value in more than just the football side of those trips. The idea, as hes framed it, is to put the roster in a setting where it is just the players, the hotel and the travel routine, with the hope that the shared time helps build chemistry and toughness before the regular season brings its own demands on the road. [Read more 🡒]
Dennis Allen Just Put Malik Muhammad In The Middle Of A Bears Need
Training camp opened with a familiar Bears concern in the secondary: the starting nickel spot is up for grabs while Kyler Gordon works back from injury. In the meantime, Jaylon Jones, Cam Lewis and rookie Malik Muhammad are all getting a look at the role, with head coach Dennis Allen emphasizing how demanding the nickel position can be in this defense.
Muhammads name is the one that stands out, because the Bears are at least exploring whether his skill set can translate from outside cornerback traits into the slot. Allen has made it clear the rookie will get a chance to compete there, which adds another layer to a battle that already has a few moving parts and no obvious finish line yet. [Read more 🡒]
Caleb Williams Is Sending A Very Different Year Two Message
Caleb Williams spent his offseason making the kind of changes that usually get noticed before a quarterback throws his first pass of camp. The Bears second-year starter has trimmed down, sharpened his routine and, by early reports from training camp, looks leaner with quicker feet and a more comfortable presence under center. For a player whose talent has never been the question, the focus now is on whether a cleaner body and a cleaner process can help the game slow down even more.
Williams has talked through the work behind it, from improved eating habits to a greater emphasis on sleep, and the idea is simple enough: move better, feel better and settle deeper into the offense. The bigger test is still ahead, though, because looking lighter in July is one thing and carrying that same ease into Ben Johnsons system is another. For the Bears, the encouraging part is that their quarterback seems to be approaching Year 2 with a different kind of edge, even if the real payoff remains to be seen. [Read more 🡒]