Rome Odunze felt like a great pick when the Chicago Bears grabbed him 9th overall in 2024. He’d been a star for Washington in college. He had that ideal blend of size, speed, and route-running skill. On top of that, he was renowned for his obsession with football, always putting in the extra work. Since then, the results have been mixed. Odunze hasn’t been bad. He had over 1300 yards with 9 touchdowns in his first two seasons. That isn’t terrible production. It is, however, disappointing for a top-10 pick. Injuries have played a part in the lack of progress, but so have persistent drop issues. Some have wondered if Odunze has a future in Chicago.
Those thoughts might need to be revised a tad. While Odunze hasn’t yet lived up to his pre-draft hype, one can safely say that the pick is looking considerably better now compared to even just last week. News broke on Saturday that the Arizona Cardinals are trading former #4 overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr. The acquiring team is not yet known, but it’s all but official regardless. Not only that, but Malik Nabers, the other receiver taken ahead of Odunze, is dealing with yet another injury after missing most of last season with a torn ACL.
Rome Odunze has also shown improvement.
Through his first two seasons, the young receiver managed a catch rate of just 51.3%, meaning he barely managed to haul in half of the passes thrown his way. So far in 2026, those numbers have jumped to 70%. Through four games, he has 233 yards. If that pace holds, he will finish with 990 for the season. That would be a career high and would be even more impressive given that he is only the third-most targeted receiver on the team, behind Kalif Raymond and Luther Burden. His efficiency has improved by a wide margin.
Harrison Jr. and Nabers aren’t the only highly touted names floundering. Brian Thomas Jr. has fallen off a cliff after his stellar rookie season in Jacksonville. He had just 707 yards last year and is on pace for just 446 this season. Xavier Leggette and Ricky Pearsall have failed to produce much in their respective spots as well. All things considered, Rome Odunze looks less and less like a failure by the day. Sure, he isn’t a star yet, but he might be the most reliable wide receiver coming out of that class.
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The Bears haven’t lost faith in him.
That is what matters most. Head coach Ben Johnson still has him as a key part of the offensive attack. That is no small thing. It tells you that Odunze has continued working hard despite the setbacks. His blocking is excellent, and his route-running has improved. The last thing that needed cleaning up was the actual receiving. It appears that has been addressed as well. If Odunze can stay healthy for the season, he still has an opportunity to clear 1,000 yards for the first time in his career.
The timing would be pretty fortuitous. His rookie contract is coming to an end after next season. The Bears have the 5th-year option to use if they wish. However, in most cases, teams prefer to avoid it. Either they want to extend the player or let him play out his deal. A breakout season in 2026 would set the stage for Odunze to become the next key offensive piece to get a payday from the team.
