Chicago Bears Face Challenge Without Top Receiver Odunze Against Packers

When the Chicago Bears take the field for their next matchup against the Green Bay Packers, they will be without their top wide receiver, Odunze. This marks a significant absence for the team as they prepare to clash with their rival on Sunday at Lambeau Field. Odunze has dealt with persistent foot and heel issues all year long. That meant that he essentially missed his first game of 2025.

Odunze, who has developed into the Bears’ most dangerous weapon in the passing game, first started showing injury issues well before Halloween. At first thought to be a heel injury, he showed up on the Chicago Bears injury report and had his situation closely monitored during the month of November. Part of the approach to handling him was sitting him out of one practice per week to help him recover. So despite all these efforts, he still played with the missed last week’s injury report. That was before the Bears’ historic comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

In that rematch, Odunze was thrown at six times. Trestan ended up with two receptions for a mere eight yards, but the Bears won their sixth consecutive game, 24-15. His numbers could be considered underwhelming at first glance, but his impact on the field proved indispensable to the team’s offensive scheme. Without Odunze available, the Bears will have to completely alter their offensive game plan.

Odunze’s absence leaves plenty of room for other fresh faces to come into play in bigger roles. That means rookie Luther Burden III and returning teammate Olamide Zaccheaus will likely get more targets in the passing game. DJ Moore, Colston Loveland, and Cole Kmet are poised to fill that power play role. They should both benefit from increased opportunity on the field as they take over the production previously supplied by Odunze.

Northwestern’s coaching staff will need to make pronounced strategic adjustments going forward to find success during this important conference slate against their historic rivals. The unknown of playing without Odunze is the biggest hurdle. It will change the playing field, forcing the team to rely on both new blood and veterans.