As the Chicago Bears prepare for a critical Saturday night rematch against the Green Bay Packers, their wide receiver depth is suddenly under serious pressure.
Tuesday’s walkthrough produced a concerning estimated injury report, with both Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III listed as non-participants. Odunze continues to battle a chronic foot issue that’s already forced him to miss two games so far while Burden is dealing with an ankle injury suffered in the third quarter against Cleveland.
With the NFC North hanging in the balance and another showdown with the Packers approaching fast, the Bears may be forced to get creative (and possibly desperate) at wide receiver. That’s where an undrafted rookie named Jahdae Walker enters the conversation.
Injuries Are Shrinking the Margin for Error
GettyBears WR Jahdae Walker
Odunze’s situation is easily the most concerning. After being cleared to play Sunday, he felt pain shortly before kickoff and was ruled out. That has led head coach Ben Johnson to consider shutting him down for the rest of the regular season.
“All options are on the table. We’re going to do what’s best for Rome first and foremost,” Johnson said on Monday. “So there may be a case where we have to protect him from himself a little bit and just make sure we get him right, and he’ll be able to help us down the road.”
Odunze’s 44 catches for 661 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games showcase just how central he is to the offense and losing him against Green Bay would hurt badly.
Burden’s ankle injury adds another layer of uncertainty. While Johnson called it “day to day,” the Bears are already preparing for the possibility that one or both of their young receivers may not be ready Saturday night.
If that happens, D.J. Moore would be asked to carry an even heavier load, supported by Olamide Zaccheaus, plus tight ends Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland. But that group alone may not be enough against a Packers team that just beat Chicago just over a week ago.
Why Jahdae Walker Is Suddenly Relevant
GettyBears WR Jahdae Walker
The 23 year old undrafted free agent made a name for himself in the preseason with eight catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns, earning a spot on the 53 man roster.
During the regular season, Walker has appeared in six games, contributing mainly on special teams (61 snaps) with only eight offensive reps. A concussion sidelined him in weeks 10 and 11, and he was inactive last Sunday.
Still, at 6’3”, 206 pounds with reported 4.43 speed, Walker offers size and physicality the Bears can leverage in situational roles, especially in the red zone and on third down.
There’s risk, of course. I mean asking an undrafted rookie with little offensive experience to contribute in a divisional showdown with huge playoff implications is not exactly ideal. But the alternative is limiting the offense and overloading Moore while defenses key on predictable personnel groupings.
Saturday night against Green Bay could turn into an unplanned but revealing test for Jahdae Walker.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Bears May Have to Roll the Dice on an Undrafted Rookie Receiver appeared first on Heavy Sports.