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The Chicago Bears aren’t inspiring much faith among the fan base after seven consecutive losses, and family members of prominent players on the roster are beginning to lash out publicly as well.
Rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze’s father, James Odunze, took to social media on Monday, December 8, and fired a clear shot at the organization that made his son the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
An online fan account posted the following comment to X: “Rome Odunze would have 1,100 yards on any other NFC North team.”
James Odunze commented on that post with a one-word barb of his own.
“1,500,” he wrote.
Sports Illustrated posted a screen grab of the interaction to its Instagram account on December 9.
Rome Odunze Has Been Decent Producer in Rookie Season, but Far From NFL’s Elite
GettyChicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze.
Odunze has played in all 13 of the team’s regular season games this year, starting nine of those contests. And while he is off to a slower start than he and his family might like, he hasn’t played poorly in his rookie campaign from a statistical point of view.
The 22-year-old has caught 45 passes on 81 targets for 585 yards and 3 TDs, two of which came in the team’s most recent loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Odunze has tallied 3 drops on the season and 13 yards per catch, which ranks 43rd in the league according to Pro Football Focus.
All of the Bears’ big-three wideouts have underachieved this year, though Odunze (64.0) has a better overall PFF grade than Keenan Allen (62.1). Those two grades rank the wideouts 75th and 85th, respectively, out of 128 players who have seen enough snaps at the position to qualify. DJ Moore has a grade of 71.0 that makes him 47th-ranked receiver in the NFL through 14 weeks.
To explore fully James Odunze’s argument, the top receiver for each of the Bears’ division opponents are as follows:
- Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings: 75 catches, 1,170 yards, 7 TDs
- Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions: 81 catches, 863 yards, 9 TDs
- Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers: 44 catches, 693 yards, 6 TDs
Chicago’s top-performing wideout is Moore, who has tallied 68 catches for 712 yards and 5 TDs.
Caleb Williams’ Struggles Have Affected Rome Odunze’s Production
GettyQuarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.
Part of Chicago’s lack of production in the passing game is due to rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, who would be coming along well enough if he wasn’t a QB surrounded by so many lofty expectations.
However, as the No. 1 overall pick in April, Williams’ struggles have stood out against the relative successes of some of his rookie peers, such as Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders. Williams has thrown for 2,746 yards (62.2% completion rate), 16 TDs and 5 INTs in 13 starts, while also rushing the football 63 times for 405 yards.
But, in fairness, a big part of Williams’ issues are connected to the offensive line’s failures to protect him with any regularity. Opposing pass rushers have sacked Williams 56 times for a total loss of 377 yards on the season, both of which figures lead the league.
If the Bears can fix the offensive line, Williams’ play should improve and the numbers of receivers like Odunze should go up as a result.
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Rome Odunze’s Father Slays Bears With Brutal 1-Word Message