HOUSTON — The Bears hoped that resting Keenan Allen’s injured heel all week would allow him to play Sunday. But the veteran receiver was made inactive 90 minutes before kickoff against the Texans.
Rookie receiver Rome Odunze, who suffered a Grade 1 sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee in the opener against the Titans, was active. Odunze practiced Friday for the only time all week.
Allen first hurt his heel last month, but the Bears dismissed the injury as the result of a cleat problem — “He should be fine,” general manager Ryan Poles said Aug. 28. Coach Matt Eberflus said Friday that the injury had “been progressing, then it took a step back, and we just want to give him some rest.”
Allen was clearly hampered during the season opener, despite leading the team with 11 targets and finishing second with four catches and 29 yards. He went to the injury tent during the game and was not available to the media afterward.
Allen, who missed the end of last season with a heel injury, did not practice all week and didn’t go through workouts with other players before the game.
“We thought he could make it to the game and potentially work out, and it didn’t happen. …” Eberflus said after the game. “We’ll see where it is coming here on the next couple days. …
“I think [the injury] is where it was. We’ll see where it is going forward.”
The Bears traded a fourth-round pick for Allen in March, taking on his one-year contract with a $23.1 million salary-cap hit.
Before the game, Odunze tested the first knee injury he has had in his football career. The No. 9 overall pick said Friday he’d been assured that he wouldn’t do any further damage to the knee if he played, saying his participation would be a matter of pain tolerance.
The Bears made second-year receiver Tyler Scott active for the first time this season. They also promoted Collin Johnson, who had two touchdown catches in the Hall of Fame Game against the Texans, from the practice squad on Saturday and made him active Sunday.
“[Johnson] had a great week of practice, so I know he’s ready to go,” general manager Poles said on the team’s official pregame radio show on ESPN 1000.
Velus out
After special-teams coordinator Richard Hightower called Velus Jones’ Week 1 fumbled kickoff “unacceptable” Thursday, the Bears benched the running back Sunday night. Jones was made a healthy scratch.
“We’re gonna take that one week at a time,” Poles said. “Obviously, Velus was disappointed in himself and the muffed kickoff, which was tough . . . it was unfortunate because of the offseason he had. . . .
“We have to do what’s best for the team moving forward.”
Veteran DeAndre Carter, who took Jones’ place as the kick returner after the fumble and took his only return 67 yards, was the Bears’ main returner Sunday night. Carter has 119 career kickoff returns for 2,713 yards over a seven-year career that spans six teams.
Jones, who moved from receiver during training camp, was replaced on offense by second-year running back Roschon Johnson, who was inactive in Week 1.
This and that
• Linebacker Noah Sewell, tackle Kiran Amegadjie and defensive end Dominique Robinson were the Bears’ healthy scratches. Fullback Khari Blasingame was ruled out Friday because of injuries to his hand and knee.
• Poles played golf last week with Phil Mickelson, who was in town for the LIV event in Bolingbrook. He said Mickelson watched every episode of “Hard Knocks” and told the GM that, as a Southern California native, he was a big fan of Allen.
• The Texans played without center Juice Scruggs, running back Dameon Pierce, receiver John Metchie III, safety M.J. Stewart, linebacker Jamal Hill and linebacker Rashad Weaver, who were ruled inactive.
• A member of the sideline chain crew was carted from the field after tripping and falling to the ground in the third quarter. The man tripped over the 20-yard line marker on the sideline while backing up to avoid players who were heading in his direction on a play. He fell backward and hit his head on the ground. He quickly sat up and was attended to by medical personnel. He then walked to the cart and was helped onto it before being taken inside from the sideline.
Contributing: Associated Press
Williams said he was “bruised” but expects to be ready for practice Wednesday and the upcoming game against the Colts.
In both cases, the Bears lost a timeout.
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