NEWSLETTER
The nightmare that was the 2024 Chicago Bears season is over. Before the transactional period starts and the roster changes begin, we will recap the seasons of most of the 53-man roster. Today, we’re looking at the 2024 season of wide receiver Rome Odunze.
Rome Odunze’s 2024 Snapshot
When Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze were selected in the top 10 picks in last April’s NFL Draft, Chicago fans began salivating about the potential potency of that one-two punch. Unfortunately, that connection didn’t live up to the lofty expectations placed on them externally.
Odunze finished his rookie campaign with 54 receptions, 734 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. He was the Bears’ third-leading receiver in receptions, targets, and yardage and fourth in touchdowns.
There were moments when Odunze flashed a high ceiling, such as this touchdown catch against the San Francisco 49ers or his fourth-down catch against the Packers that helped extend the would-have-been game-winning drive had Cairo Santos’ field goal not been blocked. Unfortunately, those flashes were fewer and farther between than we had hoped.
I would describe Odunze’s rookie season as promising but unspectacular. Whether it was the shuffling at offensive coordinator and the eventual firing of Matt Eberflus or the lack of balance and rhythm in the Bears’ offense that was most detrimental to Odunze’s production, there was plenty of meat left on the bone for Odunze in 2024.
By the Numbers
- Receptions: 54
- Targets: 101
- Receiving Yards: 734
- Receiving Touchdowns: 3
- Longest Reception: 47
- First Downs: 37
Contract Status
Rome Odunze signed a four-year, $22.7 million rookie contract following his selection in the 2024 NFL Draft last year. In his second season with the Chicago Bears, Odunze is scheduled to make $960K in base salary, $3.33 million from a prorated signing bonus, and $867K from a roster bonus, representing a $5.16 million cap number in 2025.
One Big Question for 2025
What will Rome Odunze’s role look like in 2025?
This is a difficult question to answer today because we do not know who will coach the Chicago Bears or call plays for the offense next season. Odunze was the third wide receiver on the Bears’ depth chart this season, with veterans DJ Moore and Keenan Allen ahead of him. Their differences in target share reflected this.
The first decision that will dictate Odunze’s role next season is whether the Bears bring Keenan Allen back. Allen said earlier this month that if he plays in 2025, it will be in Chicago or Los Angeles, where he spent the first 11 seasons of his career.
When Allen was traded to the Bears in March, he opted not to move his wife and kids to Chicago, so his family still resides in their southern California home. However, Allen did say he would at least consider moving to Chicago to finish his career here. “I have to talk it over with the wife and the kids to see what they want to do,” Allen said (via Chicago Sun-Times).
For Allen to return to Chicago, it’s got to be at the right price point, and if the two sides come to terms there, the question becomes, what does his role in the offense look like, and more specifically, what does the target share with Odunze look like.
Once the Allen situation is ironed out, we can begin to discuss what type of strides Odunze can make in 2025.
