LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Rome Odunze was hampered by a foot injury for much of his second season with the Chicago Bears.
That is part of what he is describing as his new normal.
That's OK, too, because the wide receiver doesn't think it's going to get in his way.
“It’s not from a standpoint that I’m like always in pain, but the way my foot broke, there’s calluses in there that creates a different type of foot structure with those bones — different things that kind of shifts things around," Odunze said Wednesday on his 24th birthday.
“So my new normal was kind of what I am going into. And I don’t think that’s anything that’s going to prohibit me or keep me from making plays.”
Odunze's health took on added importance for the Bears after they traded veteran receiver DJ Moore to Buffalo in March. If Odunze can return to the form he showed at the beginning of last season, he could go a long way to helping replace the production that the team lost in the Moore deal.
“For me, I just want to be the best receiver possible for this team,” Odunze said after practice on another day of organized team activities at Halas Hall. “I feel like I provide many assets to do that. And I’m comfortable with a lot of the target share, as well as the other guys getting involved so we can be the best offense possible.”
Chicago selected Odunze with the No. 9 pick in the 2024 draft after taking quarterback Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall. After starring at Washington in college, Odunze had 54 receptions for 734 yards and three touchdowns during a solid rookie season with the Bears.
Odunze was Williams' top option at the beginning of last season, catching 20 balls for 296 yards and five TDs in the first four games. But his foot started bothering him in October, and the discomfort eventually put him on the sideline.
“It was tough,” he said. “Obviously, I was gearing up for a great season. I felt like I was on track to have that. And injuries are part of the game. Unfortunately, I feel like it affected me more than injuries have in the past.”
Odunze had two catches for 8 yards in a 24-15 win at Philadelphia on Nov. 28, and then missed the last five games of the regular season. He was poised to play against Cleveland on Dec. 14, but he aggravated his foot injury in warmups.
He returned for the playoffs and caught four balls for 88 yards in two postseason games, including a memorable 27-yard reception on a fourth-and-8 play against Green Bay.
“He’s a team player," coach Ben Johnson said. “He’s going to lay it out on the line every time he gets on the grass, and so I think his teammates appreciate that. His coaching staff certainly appreciates that, and, you know, hopefully we can get him 17-plus games this year and, you know, his career will really take off for that.”
Odunze said he is continuing with rehab exercises on both feet in an effort to stay on top of the issue. That's in addition to the work he does on the rest of his game.
“I’m trying to be excellent in every single category of wide receiver,” he said. “Route running, releases, catching the football. There’s areas of improvement in every single rep out there that it’s hard to pinpoint one thing. I want to do everything excellent.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Jay Cohen, The Associated Press
