Bears Final Week 9 Injury Report: Scare at WR turned out to be nothing more than a false alarm but Chicago will be without one key weapon

Bears get encouraging news at WR after starting the week of practice with a concerning sight

The Bears started off the week of practice on Wednesday with some concerning news on offense. Wide receivers Rome Odunze, DJ Moore, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Luther Burden III along with running backs D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson all did not practice.

Odunze was the biggest name among the starters listed, considering Moore and Swift have been dealing with their respective injuries the last few weeks. The team's leading WR was back at practice on Thursday and Friday and expects to play but seeing him join the report initially was worrisome.

"I didn't know it was a big deal until he started popping up on that injury report recently," Bears head coach Ben Johnson said of Odunze on Friday. "Apparently it's been bothering him and I haven't even known about it. It speaks to who he is. He's tough and he wants to go out there and perform regardless not being 100 percent... He looks like his normal self to me, right now. If it's a pain management thing, he's managing it really well."

The same goes for Moore, who continues to tough out some difficult injuries every single week and still manage to suit up. While it was a concerning sight to see everyone out of action on Wednesday, the coaches saw it more as an opportunity for other players.

"It gave guys an opportunity that don't normally get those reps," Johnson added of missing his Top-4 WRs on Wednesday. "I see it that way. Where a number of practice squad guys, or Jahdae Walker for example who's been a little more special teams oriented, give them an opportunity to step up to the plate and get some reps with Caleb (Williams) and the first string offense."

Those are valuable opportunities to have for those players during Wednesday's session, but the Bears are surely glad to have Odunze, Moore, and Zaccheaus back on the field by the end of the week. Although being without Swift is going to be a big loss.

Other observations

• D'Andre Swift being out is obviously the big news coming out of the final injury report. The team's lead back has been dealing with a groin injury for weeks and the staff is finally shutting him down for a week, opening the door for rookie Kyle Monangai to start at RB.
• TE Cole Kmet and CB Tyrique Stevenson will be back in action after missing last week's game. Kmet is a key cog in the team's offense and the defense will need a player like Stevenson to help defend against Ja'Marr Chase on Sunday.