There were high hopes for Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze last season to emerge as the number one guy in the passing game, but that was quickly derailed.
Odunze got off to a fast start, but a foot injury ended up holding him back from hitting his full potential, as it cost him the last five games of the regular season, and he played under 100% for the two playoff games. That was a big moment in Odunze's young NFL career as he talked about facing adversity in a much different way.
"Your career is going to invite those moments of adversity," Odunze said via ESPN Bears reporter Courtney Cronin. "That's the moment that I was in, and I embraced that. I know I'm better for it to be able to go through something like that and have the season that I did that brought me to that sort of disappointment. I feel like there's those moments can tell you who you are and where you're going to go from there."
Rome Odunze grew from that foot injury in 2025
Odunze finished the 2025 season with 44 receptions for 661 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games. While it was a disappointment for the fan base, that foot injury cost him a chance to really explode in his sophomore year.
Things are going to be very different for Odunze in 2026, as he is back to being completely healthy and will truly have to take over the WR1 role for the first time. DJ Moore got traded to the Buffalo Bills earlier in the offseason, so more pressure will be put on Odunze to step up to the plate and live up to the expectations that were set for him back when he was picked in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft after his quarterback, Caleb Williams.
Odunze will have some help with Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland, who are expected to take big leaps in their second seasons in the NFL. The difference is that Odunze is the complete package as a receiver compared to Loveland and Burden, as Odunze can run the clean routes while showing off his reliable hands.
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This is a big 2026 season for Odunze, who has a lot to prove to himself and the franchise, but if he can get off to the fast start he had last year, there's no doubt he's about to have a breakout campaign.
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