Bears Lose Rookie WR Rome Odunze to Injury After MRI Results

Speaking one day following Chicago’s 24-17 triumph against the Tennessee Titans, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus disclosed to media on September 9 that Odunze had sustained a knee injury during Week 1’s game deserving of some team “concern.” To ascertain the degree, he mentioned the No. 9 overall selection will have an MRI.

Adam Schefter of ESPN later in the evening published Odunze’s MRI findings: a sprained MCL that would allow the Bears to classify him as “week to week”. Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report gave the kind of sprain further background.”Sources: Originally, #Bears rookie WR Rome Odunze thought he had a Grade 1 knee sprain during Sunday’s game against the #Titans,” Schultz said on X. Odounze will get a second evaluation, but for the talent rookie receiver, this is [the] best-case scenario.

On the second play of the Bears’ second-to- final possession of the fourth quarter Odunze most likely incurred his damage. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams heaved a short ball on the right to Velus Jones Jr., who grabbed it upfield for an 8-yard advance. Though, as Titans defenders Jack Gibbens and Harold Landry III tackled Jones, the pile fell awkwardly into Odunze’s legs, who had not been preparing another snap.

With a one to three week recuperation period, Odunze’s injury should let him stay away from a move to the injured reserve list. The Bears will have to modify their receiving corps to cover his snaps, though, even as he heals.

front of Jones block ahead.Tyler Scott might get chance with Rome. Odunze Outlook
D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen, the Bears’ top two wide receivers, will still be on hand for their Sunday Night Football game with the Houston Texans. After just five receivers active in Week 1, Chicago will still need reinforcements; Tyler Scott’s fourth-round selection makes the most sense for more snaps.

During his second NFL training camp with the Bears, Scott improved; nonetheless, the organization held him inactive for their season opener against the Titans in favor of Jones and Deandre Carter, their main return specialists. Now, it appears very probable he will be active in Week 2 with Odunze absent for the foreseeable future, and that could present a huge chance for him to leave a last goodbye.As a rookie in 2023 Scott caught just 17 passes for 168 yards and had multiple lost opportunities throughout his 32 total targets, including at least one dropped touchdown. Though it would help him maximize his 4.4-second speed as he works the deep field for the Bears offense, he seemed to have improved his ball-tracking ability in camp.

Could the Bears call on 53-man Roster Collin Johnson?

While Scott should be aggressive in the game against the Texans in Week 2, the Bears might also wish additional reinforcements on their roster with one of their starters absent from the lineup. They additionally simply so happen to have a decent elevation in experienced Collin Johnson.

With at least one muscular grab that took advantage of his 6-foot-6, 222-pound bulk, Johnson showed out during the Bears’ first preseason game against — ironically—the Texans, catching three passes for 56 yards and two touchdowns. Had he not also suffered an injury in the game keeping him sidelined for the rest of the 2024 preseason, he would have most certainly competed for the 53-man roster.

Still, the Bears brought him back following their practice squad cutback alongside former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Samori Toure. The Bears could now once more challenge him against the Texans and move him to the game-day squad in Week 2 to support the position when they are without Odunze after he has healed.