Rome Odunze Jahdae Walker Bears News Bears Wide Receivers
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Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze.
Count Rome Odunze among those who are excited about undrafted rookie wide receiver Jahdae Walker making the Chicago Bears’ roster heading into 2025.
The Bears opted to keep six wide receivers on their initial 53-man roster when making their cuts ahead of Tuesday’s NFL deadline, including Walker, who won over both the fan base and the coaching staff by making plays for the team in his preseason action.
Walker caught eight passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns in three exhibition games, bringing in the Bears’ final reception of the preseason — a 15-yard, go-ahead touchdown from Tyson Bagent in their 29-27 comeback victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
He also made a few effort plays on special teams, including when he rushed downfield after his game-winning touchdown to make a tackle and seal the victory for the Bears.
Now, Walker has a place in the Bears’ 2025 receiving picture, which Odunze credits as much to his work ethic and energy level as he does to his ability to play.
“All Day Jahdae,” Odunze said Tuesday after roster cuts. “That’s the man. He brings a lot of energy to the organization. Every single day, he comes in and works tremendously hard. And he’s got that chip on his shoulder, so he went out there and made plays.
“He worked very hard to be on the team and continue to be in this league, so I’m looking forward to what he’s going to surprise us with next.”
Jahdae Walker Will Likely Play Mostly Special Teams
Walker is a great story for the Bears coming out of this year’s training camp. He worked hard, made plays when his number was called and won an opportunity to keep it going, even beating out former draft picks, such as 2023 fourth-round Tyler Scott, for the job.
Realistically, though, if all goes well for the Bears in 2025 and everyone stays healthy, Walker will spend far more time playing special teams than catching passes on offense.
The Bears have a strong receiver room in place. Veteran D.J. Moore and Odunze — the No. 9 overall pick in 2024 — return as starters and have a full season of experience in the bank with quarterback Caleb Williams. The Bears also drafted Luther Burden III at No. 39 overall and signed veterans Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay for depth.
While Duvernay will also operate as a returner, the other four figure to get priority over Walker on the depth chart if the Bears need to start digging deeper. They also have veteran Cole Kmet and rookie first-rounder Colston Loveland to consider for targets at tight end, limiting the chances for Walker to get meaningful playing time on offense.
Even still, Walker is good depth to have and develop. He might even earn some looks later in the season if he stands out on special teams or availability issues start to arise.
Ryan Poles: Picking Walker Over Scott Was ‘Difficult’
Walker won out in his competition for a spot on the Bears’ initial 53-man roster, but general manager Ryan Poles made it clear after the deadline that the decision to keep him over some of the other competitors in the room was “difficult” on the front office.
In fact, Poles said he had that dilemma at multiple positions. It also happened in the offensive line room with second-year offensive tackle Theo Benedet, a former UDFA, who made the roster over some of the other linemen vying for backup positions.
“When I think of Jahdae and I think of Theo, where they walked in to where they are today, the discussion was developmental, and then they put themselves a little bit ahead of that curve,” Poles told reporters Tuesday afternoon. “So that receiver group [turned out well for us], which made letting Tyler Scott go today difficult, but we have to stay true to the competition and true to the talent, not where guys are drafted.