The Chicago Bears may not have the best team in the NFL, but they certainly have players with lofty goals. Last year, 5th-round Los Angeles Rams draft pick Puka Nacua was the definition of a diamond in the rough. Being picked up as the 20th wide receiver in the 2023 NFL Draft, nobody had high expectations for Nacua last year.
Instead, he broke the NFL rookie record in receiving yards and receptions. Sure, it helped that there are now 17th regular season games, but still, nobody projected Nacua to have that kind of season, and now the question is, how long will he hold that record?
According to a former teammate, that record will be broken this year.
Rome Oduzne is Shooting High as a Rookie For the Chicago Bears
Typically, rookies come into the league with a somewhat low profile as they acclimate to the NFL’s culture, speed, and media. Rome Odunze is not a typical rookie, and he is making it very clear that he wants to be different.
In one of his first interviews since signing with the Chicago Bears, Odunze said his sight was on passing Puka Nacua in the record books. He shared the following:
“I think that’s important for every player to set those goals and strive for the highest of the high,” Odunze said on Wednesday. “It’s unique in my situation because I went to school with Puka Nakua. I was following him and got to see what he did. So absolutely. I’m chasing that. I think he’s around right around 1,500 [yards], right? For that rookie season record I’m absolutely chasing that. I think Brandon Marshall has the single single-season record here [in Chicago] right?
I’m chasing those records and I think that’s important because, you know, I said this at Washington, I want to hopefully leave the Bears organization better than I found it.”
Of course, there is nothing wrong with what Oduzne said, and he said it elegantly. However, at the same time, he is setting a very lofty goal, one that has never been done before. Again, the goal is great, but it is also somewhat outside of his control.
What Would Oduzne Need to Do to Break the Records?
Credit: Getty Images
For Rome Oduzne to break the record, the first thing he will need is a quarterback who can get him the ball. Last year, one thing that helped Puka Nacua get the record was that Matthew Stafford consistently targeted him and put the ball in a spot where Nacua got the ball. It also helped the coaching staff allow Nacua to run routes that allowed him to get downfield. Nacua broke the record by consistently getting 10-15-yard catches, not by getting a bunch of 70-yard catches and runs that can add up quickly.
For Oduzne to break the record, he will need to do the following:
- 6.2 catches per game
- 87.5 yards per game
These numbers don’t seem crazy until considering that this minimum would require just above 14 yards per catch. Of the receivers that had over 1,250 yards receiving, only four had an average above Nacua’s 14.2 per reception, and only Tyreek Hill had a higher average and total than Nacua.
Then, of course, there is health. Even among the top 20 players who played this past year, only eight could play in all 17 games. For every game Oduzne misses, he would need to bump his average up by half a catch and 6.5 yards. That may not seem like a lot, but if you miss two or three games, those numbers will add up.
Nacua and Odunze Were Teammates at Washington
(Credit BYU Athletics)
It has been a few years, but Odunze and Nacua were teammates back at Washington. Nacua played at Washington for two seasons in 2019 and 2020 where he was used seldomly only accounting for 319 total yards and three touchdowns. Oduzne also played for Washington in 2020 and accounted for 72 yards as a freshman.
Both players went on to do great things the rest of their careers, with Oduzne having 1,640 yards last year and Nacua finishing out well at BYU. Although only on the same team for one season, they were in the same receiver room and probably got the same practice reps as backups.
Whether or not Odunze’s comments were made very seriously or more poking fun at Nacua, his former teammate and friend, is unknown.
