The Chicago Bears sit in first place in the NFC North and currently hold the one seed in the NFC playoff picture. Ahead of a massive Week 14 game on the road against the Green Bay Packers, the Bears shared a disappointing report from practice regarding their top wide receiver, Rome Odunze.
Here’s the latest on the injury status of the Bears’ talented second-year wide receiver.
Rome Odunze Misses Practice on Wednesday
Odunze popped up on the Bears’ injury report on Wednesday, officially being listed as a DNP while dealing with a foot injury. It’s unclear when Odunze suffered the injury, as he didn’t miss time during the Week 13 game against the Eagles.
The second-year pro out of Washington ranks as the No. 37 wide receiver in PFSN’s 2025 NFL wide receiver impact rankings with a 76.3 (C) score. Odunze leads the Bears in every significant receiving statistic. The former ninth overall pick has caught 44 of 90 targets for 661 yards and six touchdowns, while averaging 15 yards per catch.
After exploding out of the gates with 480 receiving yards and five touchdowns through the first seven games and looking like he had arrived as an alpha wide receiver, his season-long pace has slowed significantly. From Week 9 on, Odunze has caught only 13 of 34 targets for 181 yards and four touchdowns, as he and Caleb Williams have struggled to connect and seemed not to be on the same page.
The matchup against the Packers has enormous implications for the NFC Playoff race. With a win, Chicago would remain in the number one spot in the NFC North while maintaining the number one seed in the NFC. However, if Chicago were to lose to the Packers, not only would they fall out of the number one seed, but they would drop below Green Bay in the divisional race and would be jostling for a Wild Card spot.
If he were to miss Week 14, Chicago would likely lean on the run heavily. That was a successful game plan in Week 13 against the Eagles, with both D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai rushing for 100 yards and a touchdown.
However, despite Odunze’s inconsistent production thus far in 2025, his presence in the offense remains extremely valuable for Williams and head coach Ben Johnson. His absence would require DJ Moore to step up as the top receiver, while also requiring higher target shares for Luther Burden, Colston Loveland, Cole Kmet, and Olamide Zaccheaus.
Odunze’s practice status will be worth monitoring as the week progresses. While his status is murky at the moment, it’s too early to tell if he is in danger of missing the game in Week 14. If he can get back on the practice field in some capacity leading up to the game, he could suit up in the highly anticipated NFC North divisional clash.
