The Chicago Bears have entered the preparation phase for week one of the 2026 season in mostly good shape. Almost all of their players who are not on Injured Reserve have been practicing. Barring another setback, the team should head into Carolina at full strength. There is just one exception. Wide receiver Rome Odunze left practice last week with what was described as a “leg” injury. Later reports indicated the issue wasn’t deemed serious. So you might understand the growing concern about Odunze still not returning to practice.
Head coach Ben Johnson finally provided clarity on what is going on. While Odunze is considered day-to-day, meaning he’s expected to return sooner rather than later, he did clarify what the exact problem is.
For those who don’t remember, the wide receiver was hobbled last season by a significant foot injury. His inability to play at full speed was evident for most of the year. Some feared the issue might linger. While Odunze insists the foot felt great going into camp, this latest setback suggests a much greater concern.
Rome Odunze has a problem that can kill a wide receiver’s career.
Ask any player at the position. Outside of the hands, there is no more important appendage to a wide receiver’s success than the feet. It is what they need to run fast and deliver the kind of crisp routes to get open or make catches along the sideline. Bad feet mean you lose speed and can’t cut. When that happens, your effectiveness as a player is at least halved, if not more. Many great wide receivers have seen their career derailed by foot problems.
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Santonio Holmes was an emerging star in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Then he suffered a Lisfranc injury in 2012. He was out of the league just three years later. Hakeem Nicks also suffered a bad broken foot that same season. His career ended before he even turned 28. Sammy Watkins endured multiple foot surgeries, going from explosive weapons to out of the league by age 30. Michael Thomas was unstoppable for a three-year stretch in New Orleans. Then everything went downhill in 2020, as ankle and foot problems took him from a Hall of Fame trajectory to out of football at 30 years old.
One foot injury for Rome Odunze can be a freak occurrence. Two? That signals a pattern.
This entire situation is troubling.
The harsh reality is that some players don’t have the physical durability to withstand the constant pounding of the NFL game. Nobody has ever questioned Odunze’s work ethic. He goes as hard in practice and the weight room as anybody. The mental will is there. It always has been. The concern is that his body might be slowly breaking down from the stress. Usually, when the same area suffers multiple injuries, it’s the start of a trend. If those feet can’t stay healthy with Odunze still so young, there is no way they’ll suddenly get tougher as he adds more and more mileage to them.
Is this a death knell? No. Injuries have always been unpredictable. Still, seeing Odunze dealing with the same problem that haunted him last season in the same area of his body is worth concern. If this were an arm or shoulder issue, that’s one thing. A receiver can’t thrive without healthy feet. The next couple of months will determine a lot, both about Odunze’s 2026 season and the Bears’ potential plans for him beyond.
