LAKE FOREST, Ill. (104.3 The Score) – Shortly after he was selected by the Bears as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, quarterback Caleb Williams was elated to see his new team also select receiver Rome Odunze.
Williams had built a connection with Odunze ahead of that draft, and they came to Chicago as a new tandem. The vision was for their respective careers to take flight together.
As Williams and Odunze now look ahead to their third NFL season, they each face tremendous expectations. Williams is now the cover boy of the Madden video game and is in line to land a lucrative long-term contract extension next offseason if he performs like the franchise quarterback the Bears have longed for.
Odunze, who turned 24 on Wednesday, will be tasked with helping lift Williams and the Bears to great heights. The Bears need him to perform like the No. 1 wide receiver they had in mind when they drafted him at No. 9 overall.
Odunze has logged 98 receptions for 1,395 yards and nine touchdowns in his first 29 NFL games. Those numbers are fine – but also the type of statistics that a top wide receiver produces in a single season, not two.
As Williams set the Bears’ single-season passing mark in 2025, Odunze contributed less than he did as a rookie in 2025. He had 44 receptions for 661 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games in 2025, when he missed five games due to a stress fracture in his foot.
Odunze admitted that ailment will be a lingering issue heading toward his third NFL season.
“I feel like it’s hard to say it’s like 100 (percent),” Odunze said. “I feel like when we’re in the Super Bowl and win that I feel like it will be 100.
“This is my new normal.”
After trading receiver DJ Moore to the Bills in March, the Bears are looking for a new target to emerge for Williams.
Recently, Bears head coach Ben Johnson declared he’s “buying stock” in second-year receiver Luther Burden III, who has made a strong impression on the team this offseason.
As for Odunze, the Bears want to see him healthy before making any strong declarations.
“He's going to lay it out on the line every time he gets on the grass,” Johnson said. “I think his teammates appreciate that, his coaching staff certainly appreciates that. Hopefully, we can get him 17-plus games this year and his career will really take off for that.”
In Johnson’s offense, there’s no set pecking order among receivers. Most of the time, opportunity depends on the matchup that week. Then-rookie tight end Colston Loveland was the Bears’ leading receiver in 2025 with 58 receptions. Moore was second on the team with 50 catches. Burden (47) was third, and Odunze (44) was fourth.
Johnson’s scheme prioritizes plays rather than players – and that’s reasonable given Johnson’s strength as a play-caller.
What Johnson and the Bears want from Odunze and each of their wide receivers is a level of consistency to rely on. The process starts with Williams, who must deliver the football in stride to allow the opportunity for yards after catch. But Bears receiver also must be more reliable. The team’s 5.1% drop rate was tied for fourth-worst in the NFL in 2025.
The Bears aren’t just hoping for stronger play from Odunze. They’re counting on it. He believes he’s ready to take to fill the role of being a No. 1 receiver.
“I think it’s everything,” Odunze said. “It’s everything, it’s wins, it’s numbers. It’s when we watch film in the meetings rooms, it’s the pluses. It’s all these different things. I don’t want just to have a great individual season. I want to collectively be a tremendous wide receiver that has a tremendous impact on this team that gets wins week in and week out.”
OTAs report
The Bears continued their work in OTAs on Wednesday afternoon at Halas Hall. Veteran defensive end Montez Sweat and nickelback Kyler Gordon weren’t present on the field. Linebacker T.J. Edwards and edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo each worked as they return from injuries.
The Bears will conduct veteran minicamp next week in Lake Forest. Attendance is required for all players.
Chris Emma covers the Bears and the Chicago sports scene for 104.3 The Score.
