The Chicago Bears are looking to get back into the win column on Sunday as they’ll go on the road to play the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bears enter this weekend’s game a little bit banged up on the offensive side of the ball, as running backs D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson have logged back-to-back non-participations, which is not good news.
Meanwhile, in the wide receiver room, Luther Burden, DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and Olamide Zaccheaus are all on the injury report. Burden will likely not play as he did not practice for the second consecutive day due to a concussion.
The good news is that Moore, Odunze, and Zaccheaus are all on the right track. On the flip side, this is Odunze’s first appearance on the injury report. The second-year wide receiver is dealing with a heel injury. He was a non-participant on Wednesday, but practiced in a limited capacity on Thursday.
On Thursday, Odunze provided some more clarification about this lingering injury. According to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, the former first-round pick said his injury has been a “progressive thing” throughout the season. Odunze added that the injury was at its “peak” in last week’s game against the Ravens, but he’ll play against the Bengals.
Rome Odunze Sheds Light on Lingering Heel Injury Before Bengals Game
If you’re a Bears fan, you understand that injuries will happen, especially in football, which is a violent and vicious sport. However, it’s a little bit worrisome to hear that the young wideout’s injury has been a lingering issue throughout the season.
The hope is that the injury doesn’t elevate to its peak again, as we don’t know what that means in terms of pain threshold or severity. That said, head coach Ben Johnson and the Bears' medical staff should keep a close eye on Odunze going forward, as they can ill afford to lose him for any period of time.
The second-year wideout has been quarterback Caleb Williams’ favorite target through the first eight weeks of the regular season. Odunze leads the Bears in receptions (31), targets (56), yards (473), and touchdowns (five), and fans are eager to see what he has in store for the second half of the campaign.
Not to mention, Odunze also leads the team in receiving first downs (27); the next player behind him is DJ Moore with 14. In seven games this season, the young pass-catcher has had at least six targets six times, proving that he's the straw that stirs the passing game's drink.
Odunze is the perfect complement to Moore and Burden, as he can play inside the slot and on the outside. The Bears will hopefully look to get the talented playmaker and the rest of the WR unit going against this Bengals’ defense that has allowed 256 yards per game (third-most in the league) this season.