Who Should I Start? DeVonta Smith or Rome Odunze

Thursday, July 30, 5:13 AM

While much has been made of the bone calluses that structurally altered the left foot of Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze, early reports have been positive, with the third-year receiver looking healthy and explosive during individual drills of the team's first practice of training camp. Odunze elected to bypass surgery for the stress fracture and plantar fasciitis that caused him to miss five games in 2025, and he drew offseason headlines when describing the "new normal" of the naturally healed foot. On Day 1 of training camp, he was able to run and cut without restriction, and quarterback Caleb Williams commented after practice that "Rome looks like Rome." Unfortunately, that unencumbered movement did not translate to production under game-like conditions, as he was held without a catch in team drills, but seemingly at full health, Odunze will have plenty of opportunities to make plays throughout the summer, and he is RotoBaller's WR33.