Chicago Bears starting wide receiver Rome Odunze revealed this week that he has been managing a “progressive” heel injury throughout the early parts of the 2025 season. However, he hasn’t disclosed this to his coaches until recently.
Odunze is off the injury report and has been cleared to play against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. The week began with some concern about his availability for Week 9 after the Bears held him out of Wednesday’s practice and listed him with a heel injury on the injury report.
Odunze raised a few eyebrows on Thursday when he told reporters that his heel issue is a “progressive thing” he has been managing for weeks, according to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. Bears head coach Ben Johnson admitted that he had no idea the injury “was a big deal” until Odunze appeared on the injury report this week.
“I didn’t know it was a big deal until he started popping up on that injury report recently,” Johnson said Friday. “Apparently, it has been bothering him, and I haven’t even known about it, which speaks to who he is. He’s tough and he wants to go out there and perform regardless of not being 100%.”
### Rome Odunze ‘Managing’ Heel Pain ‘Really Well’
Although Odunze’s injury caught Johnson by surprise, it impressed him more than it concerned him given how Odunze has managed the issue. The Bears are not in the habit of forcing players to play through injuries; in fact, they sometimes hold players back longer than necessary.
For example, last week the Bears declined to activate pass rusher Austin Booker off injured reserve before Week 8’s game despite him completing three full weeks of practice. The team then lost two defensive ends to injuries midgame.
However, Johnson said Friday that he has seen nothing from Odunze to suggest he should not play on Sunday. He left the final decision to the “ultimate judge” — the game tape.
“When I turn on the tape, that’s really the ultimate judge of whether a guy is ready or not, and he looks like his normal self to me right now,” Johnson said. “If it is a pain management thing, then he’s managing it really well.”
### DJ Moore Cleared to Play; Luther Burden Ruled Out
The Bears started the week with all four of their top wide receivers, including Odunze, out of practice. However, the final injury report brought good news for most of them.
Both veterans DJ Moore (hip/groin) and Olamide Zaccheaus (knee) were cleared to play in Sunday’s game against the Bengals after being limited throughout the week. Both receivers sat out Wednesday but returned as limited participants on Thursday and fully participated in practice on Friday.
Unfortunately, Bears rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III remains in concussion protocol after missing the entire week of practice and has been ruled out for Week 9.
Without Burden, the Bears may rely on Devin Duvernay or Jahdae Walker to fill his role.
### Additional Player Updates
The Bears will also have veteran tight end Cole Kmet back in the lineup after he was cleared of his back injury on Friday. Kmet missed his first career NFL game last week against Baltimore but returned as a full participant in practice to close out the week.
### Upcoming Game
The Chicago Bears (4-3) will face off against the Cincinnati Bengals (3-5) at 1 p.m. ET this Sunday. Fans will be watching closely to see how Odunze and the rest of the offense perform against the Bengals’ defense.
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