Total Pro Sports
The Chicago Bears plan to continue their remarkable 2025 NFL season with a win against one of the best teams in the league in recent years, the San Francisco 49ers. Just like the Bears, the 49ers went from worst to best and now enter Week 17 with high expectations.
There is a lot at stake for both teams. The Bears (11-4) are drawing closer to the NFC North title, while the 49ers (11-4) will try to stay close to the NFC West leaders, the Seattle Seahawks (12-3), ahead of the season finale. Besides visiting Levi’s Stadium, the Bears will have to face another challenge.
Star wide receiver Rome Odunze hasn’t played since the Week 13 duel against the Philadelphia Eagles. The former No. 9 overall pick continues to deal with a mysterious foot injury that has kept him sidelined in the last three weeks.
According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, the Chicago Bears’ second-year wide receiver isn’t trending in the right direction to play on Sunday night.
“My understanding has been Odunze is dealing with a stress fracture in that foot,” Pelissero said on Friday’s episode of “Good Morning Football.” “He actually played with it for several weeks before it just became too much. Rest is the only thing that’s going to help Odunze; this is not a surgical matter. We’ll see if he can get any work on the field today, but at this point, it seems like it’s trending toward him being out for another week.”
From @gmfb: The latest on T.J. Watt, George Kittle and Rome Odunze ahead of a big Week 17. @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/K3Hm9lVZXW
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 26, 2025
The news only got worse from there, as Odunze has since been ruled out.
The Bears are on a two-game winning streak, which includes the 22-16 overtime win over the Packers on Saturday. They are one of the hottest teams in the NFC. The 49ers will have to bring their best game to take them down.
Despite a complex start to the season, Rome Odunze, just like quarterback Caleb Williams, took advantage of having an offensive genius like Ben Johnson on the sideline. The Washington product elevated his game in 2025, recording 44 receptions for 661 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games.
It took D.J. Moore three games to surpass him in yards receiving (664) and tie him in touchdowns. However, Odunze still leads the Bears in yards per reception (15.0), yards per game (55.1) and targets (90).
Having Odunze on the sideline has been a major hit to the Bears’ offense. However, Johnson and Co. have proven that they can pull off big results even without their WR1 on the field.
