Former Washington Huskies star wide receiver Rome Odunze hasn’t been as productive as Chicago Bears fans may have hoped during his first season in the Windy City. The 2023 All-American and No. 9 overall pick in April’s draft has racked up 28 catches for 414 yards and a touchdown through nine games as the Bears have struggled offensively.
On Tuesday, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron took the fall for those woes as the organization fired the former Seattle Seahawks coach and turned to Thomas Brown, the team’s passing game coordinator as the interim play caller.
That should greatly benefit Odunze and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams after head coach Matt Eberflus cited “in-game communication” as one of the biggest reasons he decided to make a change.
“After evaluating our entire operation, I decided that it is in the best interest of our team to move in a different direction with the leadership of our offense,” Eberflus said in a statement. “This decision was well-thought-out, one that was conducted deliberately and respectfully. I would like to thank Shane for his efforts and wish him the best moving forward.”
Due to a combination of play calling and offensive line struggles, the Bears rank near the bottom of the NFL in every major offensive category, while Williams has taken 18 sacks over the last three weeks, including 9 in a 19-3 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday.
With the struggles up front, Waldron didn’t do much to help his rookie tandem, frequently calling longer-developing routes that would cause Williams to hold the ball for far too long. Odunze has developed a strong connection with the No. 1 overall pick in recent weeks, and if Brown can call more timing routes to help his quarterback get in rhythm early in games, Odunze could be the biggest benefactor and see a statistical explosion in the second half of the season.
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