Chicago Bears rookie receiver Rome Odunze to get MRI following Week 1 win
Rome Odunze #15 of the Chicago Bears runs a route during the second quarter of an NFL preseason football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, at Soldier Field on August 17, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
CHICAGO - The Chicago Bears have another injury to monitor as they progress into Week 2.
Bears rookie receiver Rome Odunze will get an MRI on his knee Monday, according to Bears head coach Matt Eberflus. Eberflus said Monday he was unsure when Odunze hurt his knee but believes it was on a blocking play.
Odunze left Sunday's win in the fourth quarter after blocking during a 20-yard running play by D'Andre Swift.
Odunze had one catch for 11 yards, his first-career reception, in his NFL debut. That reception was a little unorthodox.
Rome Odunze #15 of the Chicago Bears runs a route during the second quarter of an NFL preseason football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, at Soldier Field on August 17, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams fired a pass for DJ Moore that was batted up in the air. Odunze leaped, caught the ball and was leveled when he came back down to the turf. Odunze fumbled the ball, which Bears' lineman Teven Jenkins recovered.
"I caught the ball and came down and immediately was getting smacked," Odunze said, "I just got to secure that all the way to the ground."
One of the best receivers in college football last year had a welcome to the NFL moment.
"That's not how I drew up my first NFL reception, but you know, that's the game of football," Odunze said. "You never know what's going to happen or you always want to be there to make a play. And I was there to make a play and messed up a little bit by getting blasted and losing the ball, but, you know, something to improve on."
Now, the Bears are hoping for good news this week when it comes to their talented receiver who takes pride in doing a little bit of everything.