Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze enters training camp facing one of the more intriguing opportunitites on the roster.
With DJ Moore being traded to the Buffalo Bills, the target share that once belonged to the Bears’ longtime WR1 is now up for grabs, and Odunze is the presumptive favorite considering he was the Bears’ first-round selection just two seasons ago.
He was on that exact trajectory in 2025 before a stress fracture in his left foot limited him to just 12 games. Still, he finished as Caleb Williams’ most targeted receiver and still made plays in the game’s biggest moments.
But will Odunze be healthy enough to claim the spot as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver?
Bears WR Rome Odunze Put on Notice Ahead of Training Camp
ESPN’s Courtney Cronin named Rome Odunze as one of five Bears with the most to prove during training camp, alongside cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, nickel back Kyler Gordon, left tackle Braxton Jones, and pass rusher Dayo Odeyingbo.
“…With a hungry Luther Burden III also eyeing the distinction as the Bears’ top wideout, Odunze has to prove he can cement himself in that role,” Cronin wrote.
What stands out with Odunze is how he described his foot injury, saying, “This is my new normal. And it’s not from a standpoint that I’m always in pain, but the way my foot broke there’s calluses in there that, like, creates a different type of foot structure with those bones — different types of things that kind of shift things around.
So my new normal was kind of what I am going into. And I don’t think that’s anything that’s going to prohibit me from making plays, but I feel like with the break, it’s just like when you tear your AC [joint], it’s never really back to normal.”
That’s a cause for concern, and if the injury is ‘never really back to normal,’ can the Bears bank on Odunze’s health in the long-term?
More on Odunze
GettyLAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS – JUNE 10: Rome Odunze #15 of the Chicago Bears prepares to run drills during Chicago Bears Minicamp at Halas Hall on June 10, 2026 in Lake Forest, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)
Bears head coach Ben Johnson commented on Odunze back in June, saying, “Nothing new to me. He’s out there; he says he feels great. He looks good to me. We go back and forth with the coaching staff, and he looks like the same old Rome, so I think we’re in good shape.”
Trying to be optimistic here, but it feels like there’s a “band-aid” on Odunze’s injury, and potential reaggravation could have severe effects on his ability to perform as an NFL wide receiver.
The hope is that won’t be the case, but all eyes will be on Odunze and how he rebounds from that foot injury during training camp and into the NFL season.
“I looked up to guys like Davante Adams, Julio Jones. I was even watching some Puka [Nacua] film from last year, especially at the catch point,” Odunze said, talking with Cam Newton on his 4th&1 show. “I want to be better at the catch point this year when it comes to contested catches, catching in stride, and all of those different things. Making the quarterback look good when I need to… When it might be a go-make-a-play play, I want to make that play. I watch film on all of those guys and continue to study that, and I’ll display that this season, for sure.”
Sounds like he’s not worrying about the previous injury, so for now, fingers crossed that it won’t be a problem again in the near future.
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