Wide receiver is one of the Bears’ strongest positions, but they went into their game Sunday at the Texans with uncertainty about two of their best.
Rookie Rome Odunze will play through a knee injury, but veteran Keenan Allen is inactive.
Odunze’s quick turnaround has been a relief for the Bears after he sprained his right knee in the opener against the Titans. An MRI exam revealed a Grade 1 sprain, and he was able to do limited work in practice Friday.
Allen’s issue dates back to last season, when he missed the Chargers’ last four games. It’s worth noting, though, that the team had fired its coach and was 5-8 before that stretch, so there was little reason to risk anything for Allen.
He had been injury-free with the Bears until leaving practice Aug. 24 with what the team initially believed was an issue caused by his cleats. While general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus downplayed it, Allen has missed 7 of 8 practices and missed some plays in the opener.
Allen led the Bears with four catches for 29 yards against the Titans, and Odunze had one catch for 11 yards.
Here are the Bears’ inactives for the Texans game:
WR Keenan Allen (heel)
FB Khari Blasingame (hand, knee)
RB Velus Jones
OL Kiran Amegadjie
LB Noah Sewell
DE Dominique Robinson