With playoff positioning on the line and injuries mounting, Chicago must balance urgency with long-term health when it comes to WR Rome Odunze.
As the Chicago Bears were warming up at Soldier Field for a Week 15 matchup against the Cleveland Browns — a game that would go down as the fourth coldest in the 101-year history of the stadium — wide receiver Rome Odunze re-aggravated his foot injury and was ruled out before kickoff.
It was déjà vu for Bears fans.
Just one week earlier at Lambeau Field, cornerback Kyler Gordon was set to make his return against the Packers, only to have things take an unfortunate turn. Gordon ultimately landed on injured reserve, ending his regular season and leaving the Bears hopeful he can return for a potential playoff run.
Now, a similar cloud hangs over Odunze.
The Bears are weighing every option as they determine how to proceed with one of their most important offensive weapons.
Odunze has now missed two straight games. And while Chicago rolled Cleveland 31–3 without him, his absence was glaring one week earlier in Green Bay, where the Bears struggled offensively in a loss to the Packers.
Despite missing the last two games, Odunze still leads the team in receiving yards (661), receptions (44), and targets (90) through 12 games. He quickly established himself as Caleb Williams’ go-to option in the passing game.
So what exactly are the Bears supposed to do?
Odunze has been dealing with a recurring foot injury since late October, and the concern now extends beyond just one week.
“All options are on the table,” head coach Ben Johnson said Monday. “We’re going to do what’s best for Rome first and foremost. I know he wants to be out there and help. It’s hard to tell him no sometimes. He just wants to be on the field competing and contributing and helping our team win. There may be a case where we’ve got to protect him from himself a little bit and make sure we get him right so he can help us down the road.”
As the Bears continue to monitor Odunze’s status, there’s another variable in play. Rookie wide receiver Burden left the Browns game in the third quarter with an ankle injury. He’s currently considered day-to-day, but his availability for Saturday night’s rematch with Green Bay is also in question.
And that game carries massive implications.
Each of the Bears’ final three regular-season games feels like a playoff game in its own right. Chicago sits at 10–4 and atop the NFC North, but a loss to the Packers on Saturday would once again cost them the division lead.
Nothing is guaranteed from here.
The Bears close the season against Green Bay, San Francisco, and Detroit — a brutal stretch — and there’s a very real possibility that an 11-win team could miss the playoffs in the NFC this year.
The Bears don’t want to be that team.
That’s why the decision on Odunze looms so large.
His long-term health has to remain the priority. Of course it does. The Bears want their best players healthy for a postseason run. But first, they have to make sure they actually get there.
Putting your wide receivers on the field against Green Bay could be the difference between a win and a loss — the difference between controlling your playoff destiny or letting it slip. But if Odunze or Burden suffers a setback, it’s a decision that could come back to haunt the Bears come Wild Card Weekend.
It’s a delicate balance.
And one that may ultimately define how far this magical season goes.