All signs pointed to Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze having a breakout second season, and through seven games, he's on that track with 31 catches for 473 yards and five touchdowns. That's a 17-game pace of 75 catches for 1,149 yards and 12 touchdowns, and if not for having a touchdown wiped out by a penalty and a few plays he has not quite been able to make, his numbers would be even better.
Odunze recently did an interview with Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports, and he echoed the sentiment throughout the Bears' locker room about the new tone head coach Ben Johnson has set.
"He comes at us with a great approach. Understanding how we're feeling, what he needs to demand from us and the expectation. I feel like those things have matched up very well and married up well. That's part of the reason we were able to get on the right track with that four-game winning streak. His message this week is that our preparation is going to get us back on track."
Rome Odunze wants to add to his on-field repertoire
The last time the Bears were in the Super Bowl, Devin Hester started the game with a kickoff return for a touchdown (that it was mostly downhill from there is another story). Odunze was just a toddler then, but he still calls the Hall of Famer his favorite player of all-time, and he tries to incorporate some of Hester's game into his own.
As for the role Hester excelled in so much he earned a bust in Canton, Odunze hinted at wanting to give it a shot.
"I might have to hit up coach (Richard Hightower) to get in the return game too," Odunze said. "We'll see. But, you know, he was a special player. Hopefully I can emulate just a little bit of that."
Beyond the risk of exposing Odunze to extra injury risk as a return man, the Bears don't really need help on that front right now.
Through Week 8, Devin Duvernay has the sixth-most kickoff return yards in the league (543), with a solid 25.9 yards per return average. Duvernay is also averaging 10.8 yards per punt return (ninth in the league).
That said, Odunze did have an 83-yard punt return touchdown during his final college season at Washington. So maybe he can sell the Bears' coaching staff on the idea of getting an opportunity to return a kick in a critical situation.
If Odunze ever does get sent out to return a kickoff or a punt, even just as a one-off novelty or attempt at misdirection, Bears fans would be a bundle of excitement and nerves as he did so.