Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze is expected to take the field Sunday in the team’s season opener against the Carolina Panthers, even after spending the week limited in practice with a strained right calf.
The Bears listed Odunze as questionable on their final injury report. Still, the third-year receiver has given every indication he intends to play when Chicago visits Bank of America Stadium for a 1 p.m. Eastern kickoff.
ESPN’s Ian Rapoport reported early Sunday that Odunze would be available.
“#Bears WR Rome Odunze, questionable with a calf injury, is expected to go today against the Panthers, source said,” Rapoport wrote.
Odunze first hurt the calf during a Sept. 3 practice and left that session early. He then sat out Monday and Tuesday work before returning as a limited participant Wednesday through Friday.
Bears coach Ben Johnson struck a cautious tone before Friday’s practice.
“Our plan was to get him to practice yesterday and today, and we’ll assess where he’s at after that,” Johnson said. “He’s looked good from my perspective, but we’ve also got a long season coming up on us, and we want to do what’s right for him for the long term as well.”
Odunze sounded far more certain after that same practice.
“I plan on playing,” Odunze said.
He expanded on that later Friday, telling reporters he felt closer to full strength than the official designation suggested.
“I’m feeling ready to go. I doubt I’m questionable. I know there’s a way everybody goes about things, but I feel pretty good. I was out there today. I plan on playing.”
The calf issue is separate from the left-foot stress fracture that cost Odunze the final five games of the 2025 regular season. He returned for both of Chicago’s playoff games that year.
Last season Odunze caught 44 passes for 661 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games. He opened 2025 with five scores in his first four contests before the foot problem slowed him.
As a rookie in 2024, the former Washington standout finished with 54 receptions for 734 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games after the Bears selected him ninth overall.
His two-year totals stand at 98 catches, 1,395 yards and nine touchdowns. Chicago now leans on him as a featured target after trading veteran DJ Moore in the offseason.
Luther Burden III is expected to work alongside Odunze if both are active. Quarterback Caleb Williams will also have tight end Colston Loveland as a primary option in Ben Johnson’s second season calling the offense.
The Bears went 11-6 in 2025, won the NFC North and captured a playoff game for the first time since 2011. They open 2026 as road favorites against a Carolina team that finished 8-9 a year ago.
Chicago also listed backup quarterback Tyson Bagent (back), offensive lineman Ozzy Trapilo (knee) and defensive back Xavier Woods (groin) as questionable. The Panthers had a relatively clean report heading into the opener.
Odunze described the calf strain as muscle fatigue after a long training camp. He said the foot that bothered him last year felt strong throughout the offseason.
Whether he is fully unleashed or managed in snap count remains the last unanswered question. The Bears are expected to post their inactive list about 90 minutes before kickoff.
For a receiver who has already dealt with one significant lower-body injury in his young career, Sunday is about proving he can start the year healthy and stay that way.
The game airs on FOX.
