The Chicago Bears have made their decision about veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen’s playing status for Sunday Night Football against the Houston Texans, according to insider Jay Glazer during the Fox NFL Sunday pregame show.
The Bears officially listed Allen — who did not practice this week — as questionable to play against the Texans with a heel injury in their final injury report for Week 2. But while they will still test out the six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver in pregame warmups, Glazer reported that Allen is “really more on the doubtful side,” adding that he does not expect him to play in prime time for the Bears on Sunday night.
Allen has been dealing with his heel injury since dropping out of August 24’s practice with what general manager Ryan Poles described at the time as a “cleat issue.” Out of precaution, the Bears limited him in practice during Week 1 but fully cleared him to play in their season opener, during which he received a team-high 11 passing targets.
Unfortunately, Allen also came up limping after a play during Week 1’s win and spent time in the medical tent before returning to the field. Bears head coach Matt Eberflus indicated Allen aggravated his injury in the game, hence the team’s caution with him.
“We’re going to take it all the way up to the game to see if they can go,” Eberflus said of Allen and first-round rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze after September 13’s practice.
Rome Odunze Now Expected to Play Against Texans
On the bright side, Glazer and other NFL insiders have expressed optimism about the Bears having their other injured wide receiver — Odunze — available against the Texans.
“Source: There’s optimism this morning that #Bears rookie WR Rome Odunze (knee) will play in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game vs. the Texans,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote on X on Sunday.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter also reported Odunze is “tracking to play” against the Texans.
Odunze suffered a low-grade MCL sprain in the fourth quarter of the Bears’ 24-17 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 1. The injury occurred in the fourth quarter when Odunze was blocking on a screen play for Velus Jones Jr. Jones caught the ball and scampered upfield for an 8-yard gain, but Titans defenders Jack Gibbens and Harold Landry III tackled Jones into the back of Odunze’s legs, causing his knee to “pop.”
Initially, it seemed as though Oduzne would miss at least one game with the injury after Eberflus described him as “day-to-day” following an MRI on his knee. The Bears listed him as questionable in their final injury report after he practiced in a limited capacity during Friday’s final session, leaving the door open for him to play against the Texans.
Odunze playing on Sunday night would be a great boon to the Bears’ receiving corps with Allen unlikely to play. He caught just one pass for 11 yards in his NFL debut.
Bears Elevated Collin Johnson to Roster vs. Texans
While the NFL insiders have indicated Odunze is likely to play against the Texans, the Bears will have additional help for their receiving rotation for Sunday Night Football.
On September 14, the Bears officially elevated wide receiver Collin Johnson from the practice squad to the game-day roster against the Texans to fortify their receiving corps. He will presumably compete for reps with 2023 fourth-round pick Tyler Scott — a Week 1 health scratch — and DeAndre Carter in the rotation behind D.J. Moore and Odunze.
Johnson impressed in the Bears’ preseason opener — coincidentally, against the Texans — with two touchdown catches, but an injury kept him off the field for the remainder of training camp. Had he been healthy, Johnson would have likely pushed for a 53-man roster spot, but the Bears re-signed him to the practice squad to keep him in the fold.
Now, Johnson will get his first chance of the 2024 season to make an impact for the Bears; although, it is unclear how much of a role he will have against the Texans as Chicago adjusts its rotation to compensate for Allen’s presumed absence.
