While the focus around the Chicago Bears has been around Caleb Williams, people are quick to forget about a fellow rookie in wide receiver Rome Odunze. He has already received praise from such as Kay Adams calling Odunze the future greatest Bears receiver of all time when it's all said and done, but he is projected to be the No. 3 receiver this upcoming season.
However, that won't be the mental approach that Odunze has as even Bears wide receivers coach Chris Beatty said that he spoke with the rookie about not being “comfortable” as the No. 3 option according to ESPN's Courtney Cronin.
“We just talked about that …hey, don't get comfortable being in that role,” Beatty said on the mindset surrounding Odunze. “Like, you should be trying to take these guys' spot.”
Rome Odunze looking to learn from other Bears receivers
Odunze will be behind veterans like Keenan Allen who has been with the Los Angeles Chargers for the last 10 seasons while their other receiver is veteran DJ Moore. However, while Odunze has the talent, he still wants to learn from the likes of Allen who has been productive every seasons he's played in.
“Sometimes I'll watch Keenan, sometimes I'll watch DJ, and they do things, I'm like, ‘I don't know if that's in my playbook,'” Odunze said per ESPN. “I'm going to have to figure out a different way to get the route done, because they're special in that way. They have such unique traits to be able to do so many different things and the comfortability to get open on any given route.
“Just learning those things and the different nuances that they do within a route and catching the ball that I try and emulate. Gotta find my own style within that as well.”
Odunze was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft as he came out of the University of Washington where last season, he caught 81 passes from quarterback Michael Penix Jr. for 1,428 yards to go along with 13 touchdowns. There is no doubt that he is on a team where he can succeed with an ultra talented rookie quarterback and the aforementioned veteran receivers around him.
Bears head coach envisions Rome Odunze contributing heavily like others
Even Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said that he envisions Odunze accomplishing the same aspects as Allen and Moore have done throughout their careers.
“I think he's very capable of doing all those things [that Moore and Allen contribute]. I do,” Eberflus said via ESPN. “I've said that before. He can chunk a lot of information.
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“We are able to move those guys around … that's really going to be beneficial to our scheme,” Eberflus continued.
Better yet, Oduze has already got respect from his peers like Allen who has seen many receivers throughout the years with the Chargers. He would even say that compared to when he was a rookie, Odunze is a “little bit better than me.”
“He's a little bit better than me when I came in,” Allen said. “He's faster. He comes out of his breaks better than I did when I was that young. He looks like more polished than I was as a receiver.”
The Bears open up the season against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Sept. 8.
