After a foot injury sparked concerns about his longevity, Chicago’s star wideout clarifies his health status as he prepares to lead a revamped Bears receiving corps.
Chicago Bears receiver Rome Odunze got off to a hot start in 2025.
He had five touchdowns and 296 receiving yards in the first four weeks of the season.
Then, his production started to take a hit. After his 100-yard performance against the Detroit Lions in Week 2, he would only break that mark one more time in the regular season. After Week 4, he didn't score another touchdown until Week 10.
Odunze then sustained a stress fracture in his foot after the Philadelphia Eagles game in Week 13 and wasn't seen until the playoffs.
Earlier this offseason, Odunze gave fans a pretty big scare when talking about the foot injury. Odunze talked about his new normal since the injury when asked about how his foot felt back in June.
He discussed how the injury has changed his foot's bone structure. People began speculating whether that meant Odunze would never be the same player he once was.
Odunze and the Bears are going into a critical year, so this was not something you wanted to hear from your WR1. D.J. Moore is no longer around, but the Bears still do have Odunze and Luther Burden.
The franchise as a whole is trying to build sustained success after finally reaching the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 season.
Veteran WR Kalif Raymond is expected to be the slot receiver, but there's definitely not as much depth at the position. Odunze will need to play a full season for the sake of the Bears' receiver room.
Odunze went to the podium after Thursday's practice and explained exactly what he meant by his previous "new normal" comments.
He made sure to clarify that he was talking about getting used to his foot again after the injury and nothing more. He understood the confusion since the phrase "new normal" can be tied to chronic pain and made sure that everyone knew that he was doing much better.
"I really didn't articulate that well. Honestly, that's not really what I meant. I just kind of meant that I had an injury, you know, that's it. That's football. Like, my foot feels great. You know, my foot feels amazing through the training staff here, the training staff I work with in the offseason, all the work that I put into to get it right. Honestly, it's not even really something I think about anymore, which I think is the best thing you can have, you know, after an injury. Yeah, I know that kind of new normal has a bunch of like connotations of chronic and severe like things, like it's never going to be the same. It's not like that at all. Like, I'm completely fine."
You could probably feel all of Chicago breathe a huge sigh of relief after Odunze's comments. Being able to play a full season is crucial now that Moore is no longer on the team.
Odunze has a chance to prove that he deserves to be this team's WR1. This is going to be a crucial year for the Bears and Odunze alike.
