Rome Odunze says he's 'ready to go' as Chicago Bears have 4 questionable players on report
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The Chicago Bears listed four players as "questionable" for Sunday's season opener vs. Carolina, which bodes well for one player and raises a few more questions for others.
What we know:
The Bears listed Tyson Bagent, Rome Odunze, Ozzy Trapilo and Xavier Woods as questionable for Sunday's game against Carolina.
From what it looks like, Odunze has a good chance to play. He started the week without practicing but was limited on Thursday and again limited in Friday's practice. Bears coach Ben Johnson said the team plan was to get Odunze through practice on Thirsday and Friday before assessing where he's at.
"He's looked good from my perspective, but we’ve also got a long season coming up on us," Johnson said. "We want to do what's right for him for the long term as well."
The Bears said Odunze's injury wasn't a re-aggravation of his broken foot that he suffered late in the 2025 season which kept him out for the entire month of December. The fact Odunze practiced on Thursday and Friday bodes well for his availability on Sunday, But, the Bears have Luther Burden III, Colston Loveland, Kalif Raymond and Cole Kmet to turn to if Odunze doesn't play.
It might also mean a big game for Jahdae Walker, who could establish himself as the Bears' Y-receiver across from Odunze's X-receiver position.
However, Odunze told reporters on Friday that he plans on playing this weekend.
"I’m feeling ready to go," Odunze said. "I plan on playing."
Still, the other side of the injury report raises some eyebrows.
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What we don't know:
It's unclear if Bagent or Trapilo will play come Sunday.
It's also unclear if Woods' groin injury, which popped up on Thursday instead of earlier in the week, will limit the 10th-year safety. Woods was signed during training camp after Coby Bryant was lost for four to six months after surgery on his knee.
"You see a guy that's played a lot of NFL football," Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said. "You see a guy that can see things on tape and then recognize them when they show up on the football field, and that's the difference between the young player and the veteran player. The veteran player, he's seen a lot, and so you begin to recognize some tendencies and some tips and alerts, and you're able to play those things."
Bagent did not practice all week with a back injury. If he were to miss Sunday's game, Case Keenum will be the Bears' second-string quarterback after Caleb Williams. Meanwhile, it seems unlikely Trapilo will play Sunday. Bears' offensive line coach Dan Roushar said he'll participate in team drills "soon," but it's unclear if that was as soon as this week.
The Source: Information for this report came from the Bears' weekly injury report, and FOX Chicago's Chris Kwiecinski.