One would think the Chicago Bears would be pretty happy with their wide receiver output last season. Rome Odunze led the team in yards despite playing on a bad foot much of that time. D.J. Moore had two of the most meaningful catches in the history of the Bears-Packers rivalry. Luther Burden cracked 600 yards despite being a rookie. Though Moore is gone, one would think there’s some deserved optimism around the group. Yet from how you see head coach Ben Johnson talk about them, you’d think they were a borderline liability last season.
Is that being too harsh? Not according to analytics expert Warren Sharp. He did an in-depth study on the impact of every wide receiver group in the NFL last season. One category was the percentage of receiver errors that caused incompletions. This involves things like dropped passes, losing control of the ball when hitting the ground, failing to get both feet in bounds, and falling down on routes. When running the numbers, the Bears’ group didn’t come away looking all that great. They ranked sixth-worst in the NFL.
This Chicago Bears issue was largely brushed under the rug.
Conversations throughout last season were about quarterback Caleb Williams’ completion percentage. It finished as the worst of any starter in the league at 57%. Most took that as the quarterback just not being overly accurate. However, once you dig deeper into the evidence, the story starts to shift. Several of his incompletions were a direct result of receiver error. Chicago had the fourth-most dropped passes in the entire NFL last season. There were also frequent miscommunications between Williams and his receivers, with guys running the wrong routes.
It is little wonder that Johnson was so frustrated when the topic came up. He knows the Bears’ offense was hamstrung by that problem all year. They left a lot of points on the field because of it. That is why fundamentals have been a strict focal point from the moment practices began last month. Coaches are on top of guys every day about their route discipline and hand-eye coordination. If you can’t get on the same page as Williams or hang onto the ball, the team will find somebody who can.
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Odunze is under the most pressure.
Of the Chicago Bears’ notable receivers, he was the one who had the most high-profile drops last season. That includes a brutal one in the playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Nobody disputes his talent. The flashes have been there. However, holding onto the football has been a problem for him since he was drafted. Add the health issues on top of that? It’s safe to say that 2026 is the most important season of his career. After all, it already sounds like Coach Johnson is leaning towards featuring Burden a lot more in this offense. He didn’t draft Odunze, let’s not forget.
One thing is certain. There will be no easing up. Johnson is keen on winning a Super Bowl. His standard has not and will not chase. Everybody is expected to meet it. If these guys suffer the same issues again in 2026, you can bet the Bears will be hunting for replacements next spring. The good news is that they have much more experience in the offensive system. That should make their mental workload easier, allowing them to focus more on catching the ball.
