The Chicago Bears, coming off a disappointing loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8, saw their top four wide receivers land on the injury report for various reasons.
Luther Burden III, DJ Moore, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Rome Odunze were all on the injury report on Wednesday ahead of Week 9, and none of them participated in practice.
However, as Underdog NFL on Twitter/X shared, Odunze revealed his status for Week 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Despite dealing with a heel issue, Odunze said he'll suit up for Week 9 in Cincinnati.
Rome Odunze reveals he's playing for the Bears in Week 9
The Bears, dealing with multiple injuries to their offensive skill players, will at least have Odunze for a Week 9 matchup against a porous Bengals defense.
Rome Odunze (heel) said he'll play Week 9.
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 30, 2025
Caleb Williams will have his top target in Odunze in the lineup for the Bears in Week 9. He was a DNP on Wednesday with a heel issue, and on Thursday, his status was upgraded to limited participation.
While he's yet to practice in full before Week 9 against the Bengals, Odunze said he's good to go, and he's expected to play for a huge matchup to bounce back from a rough Week 8 loss to the Lamar Jackson-less Ravens.
Odunze has 31 receptions for 473 yards and five touchdowns this season. Williams has had a great connection with Odunze in year two of their NFL careers, and they're coming off seven catches for 114 yards on 10 targets in Week 8 against a weak Ravens secondary.
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At 4-3, and one week before the trade deadline, the Bears' Week 9 performance could dictate a lot of what Chicago does the rest of the year. If they win, a playoff push and active trade deadline might not be out of the question.
But if the Bears lose, then Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles might not go after players like they otherwise would. Fortunately, the Bengals just lost to the winless New York Jets, and the Bears should be able to match the offensive output from Justin Fields and the Jets.
Odunze being in the lineup will go a long way to helping Williams and Johnson run the offense in Week 9. Even if D'Andre Swift, Moore, Zacchaeus, or Burden miss Week 9, Odunze being active is a huge boost to the offense.
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