Rome Odunze is having a marvelous season, which is why it stung to see the Chicago Bears injury report rule out the talented wide receiver from Sunday’s upcoming game against the Green Bay Packers. Odunze missed practice all week because of a foot injury and will be unavailable for the grudgematch between the long-time rivals. That part is the bad news.
The good news (I swear I’m using this term in the loosest of possible ways) is that the Bears are well-equipped to deal with one of their key offensive players going down with an injury. To be clear, this isn’t ideal. You don’t want to enter hallowed Lambeau Field shorthanded against a Packers team that sounds pretty miffed by Chicago’s football team having the audacity to be competitive in 2025. That Green Bay has some players and coaches playing the respect card ahead of a rivalry game that has been heavily lopsided in the Packers’ favor in recent years feels telling. But I digress. Let’s discuss some Bears options in the wake of this Rome Odunze news.
Nov 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (15) celebrates a first down against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn ImagesNo Rome Odunze? No problem! Watch out for these players in Week 14
THE VETERAN PASS WIDEOUTS
DJ Moore is fresh off the news of being named the Bears 2025 Walter Payton Man of the Year award recipient. That honor is bestowed onto players whose excellence on and off the field is commendable. Chicago football fans know that Moore is having a down year, as Rome Odunze has garnered a lion’s share of the attention from second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. Odunze leads the team in targets (90), catches (44), receiving yards (661), and touchdown receptions (6). But we are only a few years removed from Moore being the go-to receiver on this team.
Yes, it is a different offense. And it’s not as if DJ and Caleb have always been on the same page. But this could be an opportunity for that tandem to lock in. And what better time to do it than against the Packers?
Olamide Zaccheaus tends to be a forogotten piece of the puzzle. He ranks behind Odunze, Moore, and several others who will be named later in this post on the pecking order. But we shouldn’t sleep on Zaccheaus as an option to eat up some of the targets that would have otherwise gone to a healthy Rome Odunze. Last year, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels posted a 114.0 passer rating when targeting Zaccheaus. And while it was looking like he could repeat that with Caleb Williams this year, other players on this list have moved ahead of him as preferred targets for Chicago’s QB1.
BEWARE OF THE ROOKIES
Luther Burden III has seen an uptick in playing time in recent weeks and appears primed to get even more looks with Rome Odunze out this week. Caleb Williams sure seems to be gaining a trust in the rookie receiver out of Mizzou. Williams has completed 25 of 33 passes (75.8%) when targeting Burden, thrown for 323 yards, 1 touchdown, and a 116.1 passer rating. It is notable that Caleb hasn’t thrown an interception when targeting Burden this season. Also worth noting is the fact that 12 of Burden’s 25 receptions from Williams have gone for first down.
Colston Loveland earned the praise of his quarterback recently, which feels important with the Rome Odunze injury news:
“He’s a safe target. He’s a reliable target and his body language when he’s running routes is very similar to a wide receiver. It’s very smooth, it speaks to me very easily and I know when he’s breaking down, when he’s doing what. … Then he’s also tall and a large human. That makes it a little bit easier to sometimes just maybe toss it up to him or anything like that.”
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Caleb Williams’ numbers targeting Loveland this season: 31/43 (72.1%), 406 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 124.8 passer rating. Of the 31 connections Caleb has made with the rookie tight end, 18 have gone for first downs. For those of you who don’t have a calculator on hand, that comes out to 58.1 percent of Loveland’s catches going for first downs. Yeah, the Michigan product figures to get a few extra looks with Rome Odunze out in Week 14.
Nov 23, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland (84) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn ImagesTIGHT ENDS, BACKFIELD MOVEMENT, AND POTENTIAL TRICKERATION
Some other players who figure to get in on the action in one way or another as pass catchers while Rome Odunze cheers from the sidelines:
Cole Kmet has just 20 catches, 231 receiving yards, and 2 touchdowns this season. However, he has accumulated 66 catches, 683 receiving yards, and 6 touchdowns while catching passes from Caleb Williams since the start of the 2024 season. Williams has a 117.5 passer rating when targeting Kmet in his two seasons as Chicago’s starting quarterback. Kmet could get more looks with Rome Odunze out. D’Andre Swift is the better of the Bears’ running backs when it comes to catching balls out of the backfield. However, that doesn’t mean we should look past Kyle Monangai. It would be nice for Monangai, at some point, to step up his game as a pass-catcher. What better time to do it than Packers Week when it is the least expected. Darnell Wright is a player I will have eyes on this week after reading his commentary on Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson as a play-caller. If Johnson really wants to embarrass the Packers, then he will find a way to use Wright as a receiving option at some point this week. Wright, who Johnson has referred to as a unicorn, made some nifty catches during offseason practice drills. With Rome Odunze out, maybe Wright lines up as an eligible tackle and sneaks into the end zone. If I were a betting man, I’d through $1 on an offensive lineman TD on Sunday — but just for fun. Nov 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (27) tackles Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet (85) during the fourth quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn ImagesHence then, the article about what the heck are the bears going to do without rome odunze in week 14 was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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