Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson measures Rome Odunze’s growth not just in big catches, but in taunting.

After a big grab against him during practice, “he’s yelling and pointing and the celebrations,” Stevenson said of the wide receiver. “You know, I ain’t used to that. But I definitely like it.”

In Stevenson’s eyes, Odunze is breaking out of his shell the more he emerges as a breakout receiver.

“Honestly, like, that dog coming out of him,” Stevenson said.

The second-year wide receiver set career highs last week with seven catches and 128 yards against the Detroit Lions, and his three touchdown receptions this season not only tie him for the league lead but already match his total from 2024.

“That’s always what I’m trying to do is get in that paint,” Odunze said. “But other than that, I think when I hang it up and the dust settles, (then) I’ll look back on it. I don’t really look at things like that right now.”

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (15) catches a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sept. 8, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

While the Bears offense is not yet a well-oiled machine, no player so far — other than quarterback Caleb Williams — is more crucial to its operation. Odunze accounts for about 47% of the Bears’ air yards, according to Next Gen Stats.

“I know he’s just a second-year player, but he’s very much a complete receiver,” coach Ben Johnson said. “He’s willing in the run game … but as a route runner, he’s got the ability to win one-on-ones.

“For a big, long guy, he’s got the ability to change direction and separate, probably more so than a lot of guys I’ve been around. When you have a guy like that that can separate yet has a huge catch radius and can go up and get the football, I think it’s a unique skill set.”

It’s not a stretch to think Odunze’s skills will be perfectly suited to exploit Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus’ zone coverage when the former Bears coach returns to Soldier Field for the first time Sunday.

The Cowboys have allowed the third-most passing yards per game (283).

“He’s developed this knack for just being smart in his route-running ability, finding soft spots (in the zone) and manipulating his stems and stuff,” defensive back Josh Blackwell said of Odunze. “So he’ll keep progressing as he goes.”

Safety Kevin Byard called Odunze “a walking 1,000-yard receiver in any offense.”

Veteran receiver DJ Moore said Odunze got down on himself for mistakes made in the Lions game, but he has gotten better in that area.

“Coming off last year, he was battling himself,” Moore said. “Now he’s taken that step to be great. He’s speaking up a lot more. Even breaking down huddles now, and I’m loving that for him.”

Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze walks off the field after a 30-12 loss to the Vikings at U.S Bank Stadium on Dec. 16, 2024, in Minneapolis. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

Nineteen games and 14 starts into his career, Odunze acknowledged that the position still has its nuances and challenges for him.

“To play great receiver, play in this league, it really comes down to the details,” he said. “You can be good at several different things within this (position), but one thing might be off, (it will) mess up your whole game as a wide receiver.”

Odunze’s position coach, Antwaan Randle El, compares Odunze to former Pittsburgh Steelers teammate Plaxico Burress: a lanky, speedy route runner.

“He’s a little bit better than Plax in terms of blocking,” Randle El said. “And he’s a little bit smoother in his routes too.”

“I’m not sure” about that comparison, Odunze said sheepishly. He was an infant when Randle El first played with Burress in 2002. “I’d have to go back and watch his game.” But he trusts his coach’s experience.

Randle El broke down the subtle ways Odunze has improved as a receiver:

Starting stance: “How he comes off the ball (slightly crouching). That’s a big one because he’s a tall receiver. (If you’re) standing up, now you’ve got to go down and then you’ve got to take off. So you at least want to be loaded up.”
Field flexibility: “It takes a lot to be able to know not just one spot, but to know all the spots?  … That’s why we move him around.”
Reading coverages in real time: “(If) the middle field is closed, meaning single high, his route changes. He’s making those decisions, and you make them on the move. … If you have the open grass, he’ll take the open grass.”
Route angles: It was evident on his 28-yard score against the Lions on a drag route. If he had altered his angle — giving in to the urge to drift back to the ball — it could slow down a route and give defenders a chance to recover. “Set your angle and keep your angle,” Randle El said.
Selling routes: “The DB is studying you. The biggest thing is you just turning your head without turning your body a lot. He had one (at practice Wednesday) that was pretty good in the back of the end zone.”

Odunze’s coaches know he still has a lot to work on: filling out his route tree, avoiding drops and refining his catch points.

And use his physicality more than he does.

“He’s still got to understand he’s a bigger body and use that body,” Randle El said. “I can use the Kansas City (preseason) game. The ball was on the sideline that he dropped, it was a one-on-one.

“You’re a bigger dude, you’ve got to go up and — we call it ‘top hat’ — a guy. Go up and take the ball off his helmet. He went up and kind of let the ball come into his body. He’s got to pluck it and turn. That way the DB can’t make a play.”

Odunze nodded in agreement when relayed his coach’s message.

“For sure,” he said. “That’s definitely something that’s in my game.”

Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze misses a touchdown catch during the second quarter against the Texans at NRG Stadium on Sept. 15, 2024, in Houston. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Johnson said as Odunze learns more routes, “we’re continuing to push the limit each week and have him do some things that we haven’t asked him to do yet. We’re just going to continue to learn and grow together.”

Moore’s advice to him? Have fun.

“Never let a bad play go into the next play,” he said.

The blessing and the curse is that Odunze and Williams can make their bad plays together — and learn from them. They were draftmates in 2024.

The Bears selected Williams at No. 1 and Odunze at No. 9 — after receivers Malik Nabers and Marvin Harrison went ahead of him (though Randle El insists he gave Odunze the higher grade at the time).

Whatever their growing pains, Williams and Odunze have clearly bonded on and off the field. Williams has targeted Odunze 20 times, tied for 11th in the league, and Odunze has a catch rate of 65%.

Bears coach Ben Johnson talks with quarterback Caleb Williams, left, and wide receiver Rome Odunze before a preseason game against the Dolphins at Soldier Field on Aug. 10, 2025. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

Apparently, if throwing to Odunze is wrong, Williams doesn’t want to be right.

“You can have a route called for somebody else, and (Caleb is) going to bypass it to get to the other guy (Odunze), which you shouldn’t do that,” Randle El said, laughing.

Why fight it?

“He’s got a natural connection here with Rome that you see all the time,” Johnson said of Williams.

Williams explained after the Lions game: “When you have a guy come out and he’s making great catches for you and getting off man coverage and press and all these different things, you want to keep feeding him the ball.”

If the Bears go as Williams goes, Williams goes as Odunze goes.

“It’s definitely natural and something we have to work at at the same time,” Odunze said. “Being able to find me on certain plays that may be broken, and some things that feel a little bit less like organized or planned, at the end of the day he’s looking to me as an option within our scheme and within the offense as well.

“So we kind of play off each other in that realm. But we’ve got a nice connection.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/20/chicago-bears-rome-odunze-great-receiver/