Even though the Chicago Bears are sitting at 4-6, general manager Ryan Poles can hang his hat knowing that he has some solid offensive building blocks in quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze, especially after moving on from offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.
Most of Chicago’s offensive struggles can be traced back to Waldron’s poor coaching, which has been heavily criticized by Pro Bowl receiver DJ Moore since his departure. However, while he hasn’t received the same attention as fellow top-ten picks Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers, Odunze has quietly had a strong season.
He leads the Bears with 479 receiving yards, which ranks No. 6 among all rookies, while his 34 receptions and 14.1 yards per catch both rank No. 5 among rookies with 20 or more catches this season.
Chicago has a fairly weak assortment of defenses coming up, as their remaining opponents allow an average of 226.9 yards per game through the air. Odunze garnered a team-high 10 targets in the Bears’ 20-19 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday and turned them into 6 catches for a team-leading 65 yards as his chemistry with Williams continues to get stronger.
That chemistry came to a head with two receptions for Odunze on what should have been a game-winning drive for Williams before Cairo Santos’ field goal attempt was blocked, where the two connected for a gain of 16 yards on third and 19, and then 21 yards on fourth and three.
Odunze has been more than solid all season long, proving his worth as a blocker and pass catcher, and should excel under the guise of interim offensive coordinator Thomas Brown.
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