As training camps approach, only six 2024 draftees remain unsigned. The Bears entered the week with their two first-round choices out of contract, but they narrowed that number to one Tuesday by signing Rome Odunze to his rookie deal.
Odunze, the Bears’ first Round 1 wideout pick since Kevin White in 2015, will be tied to a four-year pact that could be pushed to 2028 via the fifth-year option. Chicago did considerable work at wide receiver this offseason, adding Keenan Allen as well. But Odunze will be tied to Caleb Williams for the foreseeable future. The Bears will hope their Nos. 1 and 9 overall picks form a long-term partnership.
The team targeted the Washington prospect with the ninth pick to the point it explored trading up. GM Ryan Poles called Falcons counterpart Terry Fontenot about moving up one spot. The Falcons passed and chose Odunze’s college QB, Michael Penix Jr., but other teams eyed the multiyear Huskies standout. The Jets were in the mix, while the Colts made offers to move up for a pass catcher. Ultimately, Odunze ended up with a Bears team that may well be set to sport one of the most promising receiving cadres in its history.
Odunze’s contract will come fully guaranteed, as all first-round deals are now. Rookie deals are no longer especially complicated, and holdouts are exceedingly rare since the 2011 CBA introduced the slot system. The Williams matter may not be resolved for a bit, but the USC prospect is not expected to hold out. Williams is not using an NFLPA-certified agent, adding a complication to the former Heisman winner’s negotiations.
The Bears have clear intentions to make Odunze a Week 1 starter, teaming him with Allen and 2023 trade pickup D.J. Moore. Although Chicago rostered Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery together, this franchise does not have an extensive history with high-end receiving tandems or trios. Moore immediately became Chicago’s top target, displacing Darnell Mooney, and Allen comes over after accumulating the second-most receiving yards in Chargers history. WR3 expectations should give Odunze a smoother onramp to the NFL.
Odunze played a lead role in Washington zooming to the CFP national championship game, leading Division I-FBS in receiving (1,640 yards) and catching 13 touchdown passes. The Penix-Odunze combo produced 10 100-yard games for the 6-foot-3, 212-pound target, who amassed 125 yards in the Huskies’ CFP semifinal victory over Texas. Odunze starred at Washington for the past two seasons, posting two 1,100-yard campaigns while elevating his stock. He also clocked a 4.45-second 40-yard dash at the Combine.
With Allen signed for just one more season and Moore still tied to his Panthers pact, Odunze has a route to becoming the Bears’ top wideout. Moore may well loom as an extension candidate, and Allen is open to a new deal. But the Bears will look to have the Williams-Odunze pair aligned for many years.