LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Rome Odunze’s birthday present included getting back to work at Halas Hall last week.
He turned 23 on June 3, the first day of the Chicago Bears’ mandatory minicamp. And for as much as Odunze has welcomed a more informed outlook entering his second year in the NFL, he knows he has untapped potential. He’s young. Younger than Bears second-round rookie offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo and just three days older than sixth-round rookie running back Kyle Monangai.
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“I just turned 23,” Odunze said on Thursday. “I don’t have many things to focus on other than getting better.”
This offseason, Odunze said, he’s focused on putting himself “in peak condition spiritually, mentally (and) physically.” He’s added a few pounds of lean mass and lost some fat. He’s dialed in on his upper-body strength, which he said he learned was particularly important to come out on the better side of 50-50 catches.
“There’s a lot of nitpicking and grabbing in this league that isn’t always shown,” Odunze said. “I feel like I needed to build upper-body mass to be able to combat some of those things.”
Unlike this time last year, when the former University of Washington receiver was joining his new team after months of pre-draft questions and evaluations, Odunze knows what’s ahead of him.
“It’s a different game than college football. There are different windows, different ways to get open, and there’s a different pace that you have to get adapted to,” Odunze said. “Having a full season under my belt, I feel like I’m aware of those things.
“I can now play the game freely in a way that I know where I need to be when I need to be there.”
The ninth pick in the 2024 draft, Odunze’s rookie season was a mixed bag. He made 54 catches for 734 yards, both ranking third among Bears receivers behind DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, and three touchdowns. He showed glimpses — like his 47-yard catch in a loss to the Colts in Week 3, which remained the longest reception for the Bears all season — but faded into the background at other times. It wasn’t all on the rookie, though, as the Bears finished last in the league in total offense (283.5 yards per game).
But the worst part about Year 1? Odunze didn’t hesitate to answer: It was losing. The Bears finished 5-12, losing 10 of their last 11 games, as offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and then head coach Matt Eberflus were fired in-season.
As Chicago welcomes a new regime led by head coach Ben Johnson, an offensive makeover is in progress. Odunze already noted the explosiveness that the new offense will prioritize. On Thursday, minicamp fun and games were the early signs of trick plays in progress.
“I think Ben (Johnson) and crew have great offensive minds,” Odunze said. “I feel like they can help put me in positions to succeed, and that’s all I can ask for.
“But at the end of the day, I’ve got to get out there and make plays and get the job done regardless.”
Moore, who has led the Bears in receiving in each of the past two seasons, said earlier in minicamp he noticed Odunze’s improvement from last year. That progress included a few highlight-worthy plays, such as Thursday, when Odunze snagged a catch through traffic from a scrambling Caleb Williams (at the 25-second mark of the clip below).
Every rep counts 💪 pic.twitter.com/UC7EyImwFV
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) June 6, 2025
With his added comfort, developing that chemistry with Williams is Odunze’s next step forward, and a particularly important one if he plans to take on a larger role. Allen is a free agent and not expected back in Chicago, which could open up more targets for Odunze, although the Bears also added two pass catchers early in the draft, taking tight end Colston Loveland at No. 10 and wideout Luther Burden at No. 39.
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It’s still too early to write his goals in stone, but Odunze is eyeing 1,000 receiving yards and double-digit touchdowns in the 2025 season. For the team, he didn’t shy away from singling out a playoff appearance, which would be the Bears’ first since 2020. Chicago has just two playoff appearances and no trips past the wild-card round since reaching the NFC Championship Game in 2010.
“When you’re doing the right things and you’re having success, and the team is having success, all the statistics and those numbers will come,” Odunze said.
For the new 23-year-old, a “Jordan Year” breakout would be exactly what he and Chicago desire.
(Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
