Bears’ Rome Odunze says fans can relax about his health: ‘My foot feels amazing’

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze caused a bit of a stir in June when he noted that the foot injuries, including a stress fracture, that cost him five regular-season games last season had presented him with “a new normal” to work with physically.

From the outside, there were concerns Odunze was hinting that, perhaps, he would never be quite the same with his foot. But after the second practice of training camp Thursday morning, Odunze took a stab at clarifying what he was saying with the “new normal” comments.

“I just set up a fastball for y’all on that one,” Odunze said with a laugh. “That one kind of just went with the wind. I really didn’t articulate that well, honestly. That’s really not what I meant.”

So what did Odunze mean?

“I had an injury. That’s it. That’s football,” he said. “My foot feels great. My foot feels amazing. Through our training staff here, the training staff I work with in the offseason and all the work I put in to get it right, honestly it’s not even something I think about anymore. Which I think is the best feeling you can have after an injury. So I know ‘new normal’ has a bunch of connotations of chronic and severe and like it’s never going to be the same. It’s not like that at all. I’m completely fine.”

Odunze got off to a hot start last season, totaling 20 catches, 296 yards and five touchdowns in September. But, partly because of his foot issue, his production dipped as the season went along. And while he was never placed on injured reserve, Odunze missed the final five games of the regular season, starting with a Week 14 game against the Browns in which he was declared inactive just before kickoff after aggravating his foot injury during pregame warmups.

Odunze eventually returned to play in both playoff games, recording two catches for 44 yards in each game.

Asked Thursday if he still feels equipped to become a top-tier receiver in the league without physical limitations, Odunze nodded.

“Absolutely,” he said. “Without a doubt.”

On Wednesday, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams noted that Odunze looked the same on the field as he always has. Odunze’s next step will be getting through camp healthy.