Should I Start Rome Odunze?

Monday, July 20, 6:37 AM

Injuries derailed what looked to be a promising sophomore season for Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze, but when Bears veterans gather for training camp on July 28, he'll be presented with the season's first opportunity to test his bothersome left foot in a padded practice setting. Odunze suffered a stress fracture in the foot that kept him out of the final five games of the regular season, but he elected not to have offseason surgery, opting instead for what he has called the "new normal" of a calloused and slightly shifted foot structure. Through the first four weeks of the 2025 season, Odunze was the fantasy WR3 before the foot first became an issue, but with him slowed later in the year, rookies Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland stepped into prominent roles that leave Chicago's target pecking order somewhat unsettled heading into 2026. RotoBaller ranks Odunze as the WR33, a full 12 positional spots behind Burden, but it should surprise nobody if he's able to pick up where he started last season and command the top pass-catching spot in what projects to be an ascending Chicago offense.