LAKE FOREST, Ill. – The Chicago Bears will be without two of their top receivers when they host the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night.
Rome Odunze (foot) and Luther Burden III (ankle) were excluded from the Bears’ final injury report Thursday after not participating in either of Chicago’s last two practices.
This will be Odunze’s third consecutive match missed due to a recurring foot injury he has suffered since late October. He was ruled out before the Bears’ first meeting with the Packers on Dec. 7 and was a late scratch Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.
Coach Ben Johnson said “all options are on the table” when asked if the team would sideline Odunze for an extended period of time.
“We’re going to do what’s best for Rome first and foremost,” Johnson said. “I know he wants to be out there and help. It’s hard to say no to him sometimes. He just wants to be out there and compete and contribute and help our team win. So there might be a case where we have to protect him a little bit from himself and just make sure we do it right and he can help us later.”
Burden was brought back to the locker room in the third quarter of Chicago’s 31-3 win over Cleveland with an ankle injury. He finished as the team’s leading receiver with six catches for 84 yards.
DJ Moore led the way for the Bears passing attack with his two-touchdown performance against the Browns. His workload could increase further with Odunze and Burden out, and backup receivers such as Devin Duvernay and Jahdae Walker could get a chance to play meaningful snaps.
“I’m really happy with this piece,” Johnson said of the Bears’ receiver depth. “I think we have a few young guys that have really impressed us throughout training camp and ended up making the practice squad. If they get called up, I think they’ve done a great job integrating the offense over the season so far and getting involved. Coach [Antwaan Randle] El did a great job with them, just keeping them engaged and going through them. They’re in a great position, and I feel the same way about all the guys who are on the practice squad or have been primarily special teams players thus far. »
The Bears (10-4) lost the first meeting between these NFC North rivals two weeks ago in Green Bay but enter Saturday ahead of the Packers (9-4-1) atop the division standings.
Running back D’Andre Swift suffered a groin injury in practice this week, causing him to be limited Wednesday and Thursday. He suffered from groin injuries throughout the season and missed Chicago’s Week 9 game at Cincinnati while recovering.
Speedy tight end Cole Kmet (ankle/knee) is listed as questionable against the Packers, but Kmet said he will play.
The Bears activated linebacker Tremaine Edmunds’ 21-day window to return to practice this week. He was listed as limited Tuesday and Wednesday and was a full participant Thursday. He is officially doubtful.
“If we can get Tremaine back, that will be a huge bonus,” Johnson said. “He was playing great football before his injury.”
Despite missing four games with a groin injury, Edmunds leads the Bears in tackles (89), is tied for second in passes defensed (9) and third in interceptions (4).
