Rome Odunze (oh-DOON-zay; born June 3, 2002) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Washington Huskies, where he was a consensus All-American and runner-up for the national championship in 2023. Odunze was selected by the Bears ninth overall in the 2024 NFL draft.
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Early life
Odunze was born on June 3, 2002, in Orem, Utah, later moving to Las Vegas, Nevada, when he was three. He attended Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, where he was named the state's Gatorade Football Player of the Year as a senior in 2019 after recording 54 catches for 1,222 yards and 15 touchdowns. For his career, he had 121 receptions for 2,699 yards and 31 touchdowns. Odunze committed to the University of Washington to play college football.
College career
As a true freshman at Washington in 2020, Odunze played in four games and had six receptions for 72 yards. As a sophomore in 2021, he started seven of nine games, recording 41 receptions for 415 yards and four touchdowns. He returned to Washington as a starter in 2022.
As a junior in 2022, Odunze led the team in receiving yards with 1,145, the fifth-most in single-season history for Washington. He had six games going over the 100-yard mark and three games going over 150 yards. He also led the Pac-12 in receiving yards and was second in receptions per game.
On September 30, 2023, Odunze recovered an onside kick from University of Arizona kicker Tyler Loop and absorbed a hit from safety Dalton Johnson. He revealed later in the season that he had suffered a broken rib and punctured lung on the play. Despite the injury, Odunze played in all 15 games, which included two playoff games, and recorded 92 receptions for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns. He had ten games with over 100 receiving yards on the season. He led the NCAA in receiving yards and the Pac-12 in receptions for 2023. He was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award. Odunze declared for the 2024 NFL draft following Washington's loss in the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship.
Professional career
2024
Odunze was selected by the Chicago Bears ninth overall in the 2024 NFL draft. On July 16, 2024, Odunze signed his four-year rookie contract with the Bears worth $22.7 million. Odunze scored his first career touchdown with a one-yard receiving touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts. In that game, Odunze caught six passes for 112 yards and a touchdown in the Bears' 21–16 loss. As a rookie, he finished with 54 receptions for 734 yards and three touchdowns.
2025
Odunze finished the 2025 regular season with 44 receptions for 661 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games before missing the final five contests with a foot injury. He posted a career-best performance in Week 2 against the Detroit Lions, hauling in seven catches for a career-high 128 yards and two touchdowns.