Rome Odunze’s box score might not always tell the whole story, and Bears head coach Ben Johnson made it clear that’s exactly why the wideout matters.
Johnson was asked about Odunze’s training camp work, and the praise went beyond the usual camp optimism. He pointed to Odunze as a player who helps establish the standard for the Bears’ offense, especially in the little things that don’t show up in the stat sheet.
That idea fits the way the Bears have talked about their pass catchers. Johnson and wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El want that group to live by the “no block, no rock” mindset, and Odunze has been held up as a strong example of it. Even last season, when a lingering foot injury started to take a toll and eventually cost him the final five regular season games, he was still working to contribute in that role while operating at less than full strength.
The most striking reminder of how invisible those efforts can be came in Week 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bears put up 47 points and 576 yards of offense in that game, but Odunze didn’t record a catch on three targets. Still, his work was noticed by the Bears’ social media team, and it also served as the starting point for how the foot issue affected his season.
Now that the injury is behind him, there’s plenty of interest in seeing the version of Odunze many expected early last year - the one he was on track to become before the setback. Offensive coordinator Press Taylor has already shown intent to help push that kind of post-hype breakout.
At the same time, the Bears’ offense has plenty of options, and there’s no avoiding the fact that only one football can go around. That means some players could end up with lighter weeks, just as Odunze did in that Bengals blowout.
Even so, Johnson’s comments suggest the coaching staff will be watching more than catches and yards when it studies the tape. How receivers help when the ball isn’t theirs will matter, and Odunze appears to be doing enough of that to draw real notice.
Johnson also reinforced that point by calling out an otherwise overlooked play from a joint practice, another sign that the Bears are valuing the tone their receivers set just as much as the plays they finish.
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