The 2025 NFL season is reaching its halfway point already as we approach Week 9, and several conclusions can start to be made about every team in the league. For the Chicago Bears, we know the defense is a threat to take the ball away on any play, that the veteran offensive linemen additions have made a significant difference, and that wide receiver Rome Odunze has become the clear top option in the passing game.
Odunze leads the team in every receiving category with 56 targets for 31 receptions, 473 yards, and five touchdowns, cementing himself as quarterback Caleb Williams’ go-to guy on passing downs. Last weekend against the Baltimore Ravens, he totaled seven receptions for 114 yards on 10 targets in the 30-16 loss. The second-year receiver isn’t letting that success get to his head and change his mentality, though.
“I think I’ve continued to have a similar mindset,” Odunze said in an exclusive interview with Bears Wire. He’s the type of player who won’t make himself bigger than the game, though he made it clear he’s confident with everything he can do on the football field.
“Honestly, I feel like I’m a great option on any given play, and I feel like my talents and abilities continue to display that,” he said. “But at the end of the day, it’s a team game. I want the wide receiver corps and the offense to eat as a whole. So I think I can facilitate that, but I’m an advocate for the plan that they put together each and every week.”
Partnership with Invisalign
Odunze has a quiet confidence that he carries both on and off the football field. That’s in part due to the help of Invisalign, the clear alternative to braces, that Odunze has used for his teeth growing up and into his career. He’s always smiling and laughing, which shows how the aligners have worked for him.
“I feel like the biggest thing is that the confidence in my smile, which is great and always a plus,” he said.
Invisalign is backed by 25 years of research and used by 20 million people and 500 NFL players, including Odunze, who used the aligners in high school but still uses the retainers to keep his smile looking sharp.
“It’s been great to be one of those 20 million,” he said. “I’m so glad to partner with them.” You can learn more by visiting Invisalign.com.
The unsung hero of the offense
While Invisalign does all of the work behind the scenes for your teeth without people noticing, we asked Odunze who on the Bears offense does the dirty work in the background to make the group perform as best as they can. A name immediately came to Odunze’s mind.
“I’ll have to give a shout-out to my boy OZ—Olamide Zacchaeus,” he said. The veteran receiver joined the Bears this offseason from the Washington Commanders on a one-year deal and has clearly stood out in Odunze’s eyes.
“He does a great job just understanding the playbook, being an advocate for this offense, and being a leader for us behind the scenes,” Odunze said. “And he doesn’t get a lot of credit in that manner, but he’s a great addition to this team, and I’m super happy that we have him.” Zaccheaus has 26 receptions on 38 targets for 185 yards this season.
Connection with Caleb Williams
The trust Williams and Odunze have built is evident on the field. It’s easy to see, whether you’re watching games as they happen or simply looking at the box score every week. Williams has had ups and downs in Year 1 of Ben Johnson’s offense, but there’s no denying the magic he can create by extending plays outside of the pocket and making unbelievable throws on the run.
Odunze has been on the receiving end of those miraculous throws more often than not. We have seen him corral passes on the sideline while others have just missed due to off-target throws or drops. The scramble drill can be tough on receivers, but it’s something Odunze and Williams constantly work on.
“We have a look at different kinds of awareness-type plays and definitely rep those a good amount,” he said. “So it’s definitely something you have to work on. We’ve obviously been on the successful end of some of those plays, but we’ve also missed a good amount of them out there as well.”
Fans likely remember the stellar catch Odunze made in Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings when Williams fired a dart on the run during the opening drive. They also saw Odunze miss one of those passes last weekend against the Ravens. But the receiver knows how dangerous that combo can be, and more opportunities will be coming his way.
“We’re continuing to try and make it something that is a guaranteed asset for us any given Sunday,” Odunze said. “It’s definitely a big part of our game.”
Facing Ja’Marr Chase
NFL players relish getting the opportunity to go up against the best of the best at their same position, even if they don’t actually face off on the field at the same time. One such opportunity is coming up this weekend for Odunze when the Bears face Ja’Marr Chase and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Chase is a one-man wrecking crew for the Bengals offense, reeling in 70 receptions for 720 yards through eight games, despite playing with three different quarterbacks. Chase is a top-three receiver in the game, and Odunze is excited to face him.
“Anytime there’s a wide receiver like that across the field, it’s definitely one that you’re like, ‘Okay, let’s go toe to toe’ when it comes to the impact of the game,” he said. “And he’s one of those receivers you definitely don’t take your eyes off of when the defense is up. You want to see how your boys are doing and watch that receiver as well.”
Time will tell as to who will be throwing Chase the ball on Sunday since quarterback Joe Flacco is dealing with a shoulder injury, but either way, he will get his fair share of targets, and Odunze will be chomping at the bit to try and outperform him.
Bears record watch
Odunze’s sophomore season started out with a bang, particularly with his end zone production. Through the first four weeks of the year, he caught five touchdown passes and very nearly had more if not for penalties. He became the first Bears player to total five touchdowns in the first four games since Brandon Marshall in 2014.
That pace has cooled off, though, as Odunze has failed to find the end zone over the last three weeks, but he still has a chance to set the franchise record for most receiving touchdowns in a single season. Wins are the primary goal for Odunze, but he’s not shying away from the challenge.
“Anytime you step out there, you’re trying to make some history,” he said. “Going into the season, [the touchdown record] was not something that was particularly harped on. But I think it just comes with locking in and being an asset for this team. I feel like those things will definitely come.”
The franchise record for receiving touchdowns in a single season was set by Ken Kavanuagh in 1947 and matched by Dick Gordon in 1970. Odunze needs nine more scores in 10 games to break the record.
“We still have a good bit of season left,” Odunze said. “Hopefully I can stack some up here and go get a record for myself.”
Getting back on track
Odunze may be chasing history by catching nine more touchdown passes this year, and he is hoping to avoid repeating history with another long losing streak following a 4-2 start. This time last year, the 4-2 Bears fell to the Commanders on the infamous last-second Hail Mary touchdown that jump-started a free fall. Chicago lost 10 games in a row, fired multiple coaches, and crumbled in each phase.
The Bears didn’t lose a demoralizing heartbreaker this past weekend, but the defeat at the hand of the Ravens dampened the good vibes this group had built up while snapping a four-game winning streak. Odunze is hoping this past week was a wake-up call that every game needs to be earned.
“Honestly, I’d hope that we’d already be awake at this point,” he said bluntly. “As unfortunate as it is, sometimes those games are wake-up calls that make people realize you have to really earn it every single week in this league. If that’s the message that some of the guys take from it, then I think we’ll be better going forward.”
Odunze has faith that this one loss won’t turn into a skid like we saw last year, though. Much like the receiver himself, there is a quiet confidence with how this group prepares that he believes will get them back on track.
“I think the confidence for us just comes in our preparation,” he said. “I don’t think we put any guarantees that we’re going to be different this year because of this or that. I feel we’re going to be different because of the actions that we do today, what we prepared today, how we get our bodies right, how much we’re in the playbook, how we practice, and all that. I think we look at it that way, and that keeps us in the right minds and understanding that it’s not just going to happen for you. You have to go get it.”
With players like Odunze who have bought into what Johnson has put in place, hopefully we see the team go out and earn it beginning this Sunday in Cincinnati. Then, we can all come to the conclusion that the Bears are a contender, with Odunze playing a significant part in their revival.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears WR Rome Odunze talks WR1 status, setting records, and Invisalign
Reporting by Brendan Sugrue, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
