Former Washington Huskies star wide receiver Rome Odunze has flown under the radar for most of his rookie season with the Chicago Bears. Unlike fellow top 10 picks at the position Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers, Odunze didn’t arrive at his new team as the bonafide No. 1 option and has had to compete with veterans DJ Moore and Keenan Allen throughout the season.
Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has also struggled at times, completing just 62.5 percent of his passes over the first two months of his NFL career. That has led to a quiet stat line for Odunze, who has pulled in 20 catches on 37 targets for 287 yards and a touchdown.
He’s also added 3 carries for 15 yards and has a chance to take advantage of a subpar Arizona Cardinals secondary on Sunday, which has allowed the No. 5 most passing yards in the NFL through eight weeks and is one of two teams that has allowed scores on over 50 percent of opposing drives.
Coach Jonathan Gannon’s defense has had plenty of issues getting after the quarterback and has totaled just 15 sacks this season. For a Bears offensive line that has allowed a 9.3 sack percentage, the No. 4 worst in the league, facing Arizona’s middling pass rush could be just what Williams needs to get in rhythm with Odunze.
It appears the former No. 1 overall pick is starting to look for Odunze more frequently, as his 3 catches for 41 yards led the team in last week’s 18-15 loss to the Washington Commanders, while his 6 targets were just behind Allen, who finished with 7.
However, Williams struggled to stay on target in the game, completing a career-worst 41.7 percent of his throws, and could be in for a rebound game against the Cardinals. If he can stay on target, Odunze could be in for a productive afternoon in Arizona.
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