No matter what happens over the last two weeks of the regular season, the 11-4 Bears are heading for the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Like most successful teams, they’ve had to overcome injuries to important contributors. Wide receiver Rome Odunze and cornerback Kyler Gordon are among key Bears who have missed time this year. Both players could return in the coming weeks. Chicago has gone three straight games without Odunze, who’s dealing with a stress fracture in his foot. Odunze is trending toward missing this Sunday’s high-stakes meeting with the 49ers, another contender for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, per Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times. The Bears have considered placing Odunze on injured reserve, but doing so now would render him ineligible for two playoff games (if the team advances that far). Head coach Ben Johnson still believes Odunze is “going to be able to help us this year” (via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune). Perhaps Odunze will be ready for a Week 18 matchup against Detroit.
