Bears may need to give Rome Odunze more time to heal, while Tremaine Edmunds could return this week

Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune on Dec 16, 2025

Published in Football

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CHICAGO — Coach Ben Johnson suggested the Chicago Bears might have to give Rome Odunze time for his foot injury to heal in order for the wide receiver to potentially help the team later in the season.

Odunze was expected to play Sunday against the Cleveland Browns after missing the Week 14 game in Green Bay with what NFL Media reported was a stress fracture in his foot. But pregame warmups didn’t go well, and the Bears decided to sit him after they had declared inactive players.

Following that setback, Johnson acknowledged in a Zoom session with reporters Monday afternoon that it’s possible Odunze will require additional time to return to health.

“All options are on the table,” Johnson said. “We’re going to do what’s best for Rome first and foremost. I know he wants to be out there and helping. It’s hard to tell him no sometimes. He just wants to be out on the field competing and contributing and helping our team win.

“So there may be a case where we’ve got to protect him from himself a little bit just to make sure we get him right and he’ll be able to help us down the road.”

There was some encouraging news on the health front as the Bears announced they have opened the return-to-practice window for weak-side linebacker Tremaine Edmunds to return from injured reserve. He missed the last four games with a groin injury, and even on a short week, it’s very possible he will play Saturday night against the Packers at Soldier Field.

Johnson said wide receiver Luther Burden III, who left the 31-3 victory over the Browns with an ankle injury, is more “day by day.” Burden caught six passes for a game-high 84 yards. He made four receptions for 67 yards the week before in Green Bay and has become a regular in providing explosive plays.

“His ankle is something we’re still working through and talking about,” Johnson said. “We’ll see how this week goes in terms of whether we’ll have him available for Saturday night or not. But it’s more of a day-by-day-type deal for him.”

Odunze first appeared on the injury report with what the team labeled a heel injury before the Week 9 game in Cincinnati. He was on the field for all 80 offensive plays in the 47-42 shootout victory over the Bengals but had just three targets and no catches.

His workload was reduced in following weeks. It had been typical for Odunze to play more than 90% of the snaps every week, and that figure dipped into the mid-70s after the Bengals game. He produced six catches for 86 yards and a touchdown against the New York Giants in Week 10, but over the next three games he combined for 21 targets, seven catches, 102 yards and no scores.

The Bears were optimistic that one week off would ease Odunze’s issues. Then he couldn’t go Sunday, and now, at least according to Johnson, the team is mulling more time for Odunze to heal.

The offense has plenty of options if only one wide receiver is out Saturday against the Packers, who are dealing with an entirely different dimension of health issues entering the final three weeks of the regular season with control of the NFC North at stake. DJ Moore stepped up with a two-touchdown game against the Browns, catching four passes for 69 yards.

If Odunze and Burden are sidelined, that would press Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay into larger roles and open an opportunity for undrafted rookie Jahdae Walker, who has appeared in six games but logged only eight snaps on offense.

The versatility of rookie tight end Colston Loveland, who can be used effectively as a third wide receiver, gives Johnson more options as well.

The Packers lost defensive end Micah Parsons for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL in his left knee in Sunday’s loss in Denver, while the status of wide receiver Christian Watson is unknown.

Watson, who had two touchdowns in the Packers’ 28-21 win over the Bears at Lambeau Field two weeks ago, left Sunday’s game with a chest injury that required a brief trip to a hospital before he was cleared to travel back to Green Bay with the team.

Right tackle Zach Tom and safety Evan Williams also were knocked out of the Broncos game with knee injuries, putting the status of two other key Packers players very much in question.

Getting Edmunds back would be a boost for coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense. He was putting together far and away his best season for the Bears since signing as a major free-agent piece in 2023.

Edmunds was injured near the end of the Week 11 win at Minnesota. He has four interceptions and nine pass breakups and had a three-game stretch in which he totaled 38 tackles.

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