The Chicago Bears made moves this off-season at the wide receiver position. Chicago traded away wide receiver D.J. Moore to the Buffalo Bills. The Bears are now banking on Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III to become the one-two punch at wide receiver for this football team. Quarterback Caleb Williams has a lot of talented playmakers around him.
Odunze is entering his third NFL season and is 24 years old. During the 2025 NFL season with Chicago, he caught 44 passes for 661 yards receiving and six touchdowns, along with averaging 15.0 yards per reception. Odunze was targeted 90 times last season.
The Bears are going to need him to be the number one wide receiver with Moore no longer on this football team.
Chicago Bears WR Rome Odunze Under Pressure to Perform in 2026
Jun 11, 2026; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (15) run on the field during Minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Kevin Fishbain of the Athletic wrote about one Bears player who is under pressure to perform in 2026. One of those players is Odunze. Fishbain said,
“Selected eight picks after quarterback Caleb Williams, Odunze has shown so much promise, but his sophomore NFL season was marred in a foot injury and uncharacteristic drops. He has said that his ‘new normal’ is getting used to his foot following the fracture, which sent shudders through the Bears fan base.
“If Odunze can put it all together and be the team’s No. 1 receiver, he — like his quarterback — would be in line for a massive payday. The Bears haven’t given a multiyear contract extension to a receiver they drafted since Earl Bennett in 2011.”
Odunze had a decent year last season. He will need more receptions and yards this season, though. In other words, Odunze is going to need to play like a first-round pick. There is no question that Williams and he are going to need to show chemistry early and often this season. It will be interesting to see how things will go in training camp with Chicago on offense.
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