Bear Digest

Knee Injury to Rome Odunze from Sunday's Win Requires MRI

The Bears' first-round draft pick made an 11-yard catch but also suffered a knee injury in his debut and needs to have it examined to determine the extent.

Gene Chamberlain

Rome Odunze hauls in a pass during warmups. Odunze had one catch on Sunday for 11 yards but has an injury.
Rome Odunze hauls in a pass during warmups. Odunze had one catch on Sunday for 11 yards but has an injury. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
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Considering the way the Bears played offense against the Tennessee Titans in a 24-17 win Sunday, the best thing they could say was no one got hurt.

Then came Monday and coach Matt Eberflus revealed they couldn't even say that. Wide receiver Rome Odunze suffered an unspecified knee injury

"The only real concern we have is Rome," Eberflus said. "Rome's knee. So we will have to see where that is, and he's getting an MRI today, and we will see where it goes from there. And then I will be able to let you know more on Wednesday."

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The first-round draft pick played the whole game and had more reps than Keenan Allen with 43. Allen had 38.

"I believe it was a blocking play," Eberflus said. "They said, that;s what they talked about, I did not see it on film the exact play, but we'll see where he is. Hopefully he will be fine."

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Eberflus said the injury was brought to his attention during the game but neither he nor the Bears reported it after the game.

He didn't want to speculate about the severity.

"I don't have enough information yet," he said. "We'll see on Wednesday."

Odunze had one catch for 11 yards in four targets in his NFL debut.

The Bears could turn to Tyler Scott for a third receiver, or to DeAndre Carter or Velus Jones Jr., if Odunze is unable to play against Houston. Scott was left off the active list for Sunday's game.

A replay appeared to show one play when Velus Jones Jr. caught a pass and Odunze was blocking and was struck in the back of the leg. His final play was the run by D'Andre Swift for 20 yards and he limped after attempting a block.

The run by Swift was four plays before the end of the next-to- last Bears possession.

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Gene Chamberlain

GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.