Rome Odunze’s 2025 Season: A Year of Highs, Lows, and Lessons Learned
Rome Odunze came into his second NFL season with momentum and expectations. But as the 2025 campaign wrapped, it was clear things hadn’t unfolded the way he-or the Bears-had hoped.
Statistically, Odunze’s numbers tell a story of both promise and inconsistency: 44 catches on 90 targets, 661 yards, and six touchdowns across 12 games. Those six scores?
Five came in the first four weeks. After that early flurry, he found the end zone just once over his final eight regular-season appearances.
A stress fracture in his foot sidelined him for the final five games of the regular season, a frustrating setback for a player who thrives on rhythm and reps. But Odunze returned in time for the playoffs, suiting up for both postseason matchups against the Packers and Rams. And in those two games, we saw the full spectrum of his 2025 season.
Against Green Bay, with the Bears trailing 27-16 and facing a critical fourth-and-eight, Odunze stepped up. Caleb Williams looked his way, and the second-year wideout delivered-snatching the ball to extend a drive that ended in a touchdown. It was a clutch moment, the kind you circle when evaluating a player’s ability to rise under pressure.
Then came the Divisional Round against the Rams. On the Bears’ opening drive, Odunze dropped a would-be touchdown. It was the kind of play that sticks with a receiver, especially one who holds himself to a high standard.
After the Bears’ season came to a close, Odunze didn’t sugarcoat his feelings.
“For me personally, it just wasn’t the season I wanted to have,” he said. “When the season ends, all those emotions come rushing in. It really hurts not coming through in some of those moments-not just last night, but throughout the season.”
That kind of self-awareness isn’t just refreshing-it’s the foundation of growth. And according to wide receivers coach and assistant head coach Antwaan Randle El, Odunze’s accountability is exactly what you want to see from a young player navigating the ups and downs of the NFL.
“The criticism that he has for himself-that’s what you want to hear,” Randle El said during an interview with Jarrett Payton. “When a guy takes the onus, like, ‘Yes, I messed up.
Now I’ve got to find a way to fix it’-that’s coachable. That’s what makes it easier for us as coaches.”
Randle El also pointed out that the Bears’ staff had to “keep him from himself” at times, making sure Odunze didn’t push too hard on his injured foot before it was ready. That’s the kind of drive that can’t be taught-but it also has to be managed.
The good news for Chicago? There’s no panic in the building when it comes to Odunze’s trajectory.
Randle El made it clear the young wideout will be “much better” next season. There’s work to do, yes-but the foundation is strong.
Odunze knows what he’s capable of. He knows 2025 didn’t meet his own expectations. And that kind of self-assessment, paired with a tireless work ethic, often leads to big leaps in Year 3.
So while the numbers may not have popped off the page this season, the flashes were there. The clutch catch in the playoffs.
The early-season scoring burst. The willingness to own mistakes and put in the work.
That’s the kind of arc you want to see from a young receiver finding his footing in the league.
Bears fans shouldn’t be worried-they should be watching. Because if Odunze builds on the lessons of 2025, next year could be something special.