We hit the bye week, and the Chicago Bears sit 2-2 on the season. After a disappointing loss to the Vikings in Week 1 and a blowout to the Lions in Week 2, the Bears were able to put back-to-back wins together for the first time in almost a year. The team has had its ups and downs, but one player who is having a breakout season is second-year wide receiver Rome Odunze.
Right now, Odunze is sitting second in the NFL in receiving touchdowns with five. The only guy ahead of him is one of the top WRs in the NFL, Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Odunze is also 10th in receiving yards (less Christian McCaffrey and Davante Adams, who already played five games) and 18th in yards-per-reception. 16 of Odunze's 20 receptions have gone for either a first down or a touchdown. Of his 296 yards receiving, 91 came after the catch. His catch rate is not up to par with other top wide receivers, but some of that is on Caleb Williams. He is truly becoming one of the best receivers in the game.
Odunze deserves all the credit in the world for his breakout season. Many may be thinking that it has to do with Ben Johnson's new playbook. In a way that's true, but there seems to be a hidden reason as to why we are seeing Odunze come into his own this season—the departure of Shane Waldron.
Waldron could have ruined Rome Odunze's career with the Chicago Bears
That's right, the former Chicago Bears offensive coordinator has a history of ruining wide receivers. Some say that Chicago is where wide receivers go to die, but playing under Waldron is the actual killer. Let's take a quick look at the proof.
Waldron was the Rams' offensive passing game coordinator in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Cooper Kupp was one of his receivers, and although he had a good season in 2019, he truly blew up as soon as Waldron left for Seattle. In 2021, Kupp led the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947), and touchdowns (16). Kupp isn't the only proof, though.
Next up is Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Do you remember when the Chicago Bears hired Shane Waldron in 2023, and Smith-Njigba asked the CHGO crew if the show was live? He knew in 2022 how bad Waldron was as a play-caller. In his rookie season, Smith-Njigba had a marginal season with only 628 receiving yards and four touchdowns. As soon as Waldron left, Smith-Njigba had a breakout season with 100 catches for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns. He is currently second in the NFL in receiving yards with 402 yards.
Now we have seen Odunze take that next step in his sophomore year. A guy who has done the opposite, though, is Brian Thomas, Jr. Last season, Thomas finished the year with 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 84 catches. As of now, Thomas is on pace for 51 catches, 697 yards, and I'll generously give him five touchdowns. He currently has zero for the year. Guess who Thomas's offensive passing game coordinator is in Jacksonville? You guessed it, Shane Waldron.
The Chicago Bears were right to move on from Waldron. Adding an offensive mind like Ben Johnson didn't hurt either.
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We will see if Rome Odunze continues on this pace to finish out the year, but he already has more touchdowns through four games this season compared to his total for all 17 games last season. Odunze was the wide receiver I hoped the Bears would land after they drafted Caleb Williams in 2024. The sky is the limit for this young, budding superstar!