The Bears are headed to Lambeau Field without their top offensive weapon.
Leading wide receiver Rome Odunze is out for the game at the Packers on Sunday after missing practice all week with a foot injury. NFL Network reported he has been playing through a stress fracture and is not expected to be sidelined long term.
Odunze has been dealing with ongoing heel pain since October, though those could be separate issues. He and the Bears had managed that by holding him out of some practices, usually one per week. The team is trying to ensure he is in the best shape possible heading toward the playoffs, and it’s very difficult for these types of injuries to get better without resting.
It’s a brutal loss for the Bears as they try to get their passing attack on track.
Odunze, the No. 9 overall pick last year, has made significant strides and has become quarterback Caleb Williams’ go-to receiver. Odunze’s 90 targets account for 23.7% of the Bears’ passes and are well ahead of DJ Moore at 63 and Olamide Zaccheaus at 54.
Odunze leads the team with 44 catches for 661 yards and six touchdowns and has had a shot at breaking 1,000 yards. He’s one more big game away from eclipsing all of his rookie statistics.
He ranks 48th in the NFL in catches, 28th in yards and 11th in touchdowns. The Bears have had him on the field for 88% of their plays, the most of any offensive player outside of Williams and linemen.
Odunze is the only Bears player with two 100-yard receiving games this season; wide receiver Luther Burden and tight end Colston Loveland, both rookies, each have one.
Odunze’s absence comes after coach Ben Johnson said this week the Bears are “winning in spite of our passing game, not because of it.” They rank 15th in passing offense and have averaged 193.3 over their last four games.
Johnson stressed that there have been multiple issues in the passing game beyond Williams’ throwing accuracy and specifically mentioned imprecise route depth, and Moore said he gave the skill players a stern message.
“Get that [stuff] done or we won’t have no passing game,” Moore said. “We need to be on our details. I like running the ball and blocking for the backs to get all their accolades, but we need some love on the outside, too. We need to get that going.”
It’s an ideal time for him to reassert himself amid what has been the quietest season of his eight-year career. He has just 38 catches for 502 yards and three touchdown receptions, plus 67 yards and a touchdown as a rusher.
Moore is a versatile piece for Johnson and can be a deep option for Williams like Odunze. Zaccheaus is a veteran who knows multiple positions as well, and Burden’s playing time has been increasing lately. Burden played more than half the snaps the last two weeks against the Steelers and Eagles.
Johnson also features tight ends Loveland and Cole Kmet in the passing game and often lines them up on the outside, so they could play larger roles as pass catchers Sunday. Loveland is third on the team with 406 yards receiving.
This will be the first missed game of Odunze’s young career after withstanding various injuries to play 29 in a row. He has averaged 3.4 catches and 48.1 yards per game and scored nine touchdowns.
The short turnaround between playing the Steelers on a Sunday and the Eagles on a Friday likely put additional strain on Odunze. By sitting him Sunday, the Bears could give him a 15-day break leading up to their Dec. 14 home game against the Browns or a longer one ahead of their Dec. 20 game rematch with the Packers.
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