Bears fans were taken aback on Monday when it was revealed that their promising rookie receiver, Rome Odunze, had appeared on the injury report and needed an MRI on his knee. This news was particularly surprising since Odunze showed no signs of injury during the Week 1 game against the Titans.
Fortunately, the situation wasn’t as dire as it could have been, with the diagnosis indicating a Grade 1 knee sprain for the young receiver. However, additional details about Odunze’s injury and his potential availability for Week 2 against the Texans are emerging.
Brendan Sugrue of The Bears Wire reports that while Odunze felt fine after Sunday’s game, he woke up the next day with a sore knee. The Bears are not yet ruling him out for Sunday’s game, but it seems unlikely he will be able to play.
The potential loss of Odunze will be a blow, but the Bears have bolstered their roster in the offseason, which should help mitigate the impact. DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Cole Kmet are expected to take on more responsibilities in the passing game, and veteran receiver DeAndre Carter might step into a starting role if Odunze is sidelined.
In his NFL debut, Odunze had a quiet performance, catching just one pass out of four targets for a total of 11 yards. The Bears’ offense struggled overall in Week 1, managing only 148 total yards. Despite this, the team secured a win, thanks to strong defensive play. As they prepare for their road game against Houston, the defense will need to continue its solid performance to ensure success.
