As we continue our series of Cash, Stash, or Slash, we are going to look at Rome Odunze next, who I think you could argue is one of the most fascinating cases on the team.
Odunze has had two good seasons at this point of his career, but there have been factors keeping him from reaching the heights that the Bears fans thought he could reach when they drafted him in the top ten of the 210 NFL Draft.
With Odunze, we know Slash isn’t one of the options to consider, but is this a man that the Bears should
hammer down next offseason and make sure he’s locked into a contract? Let’s take a look at Odunze.
Rome Odunze: Stash
I think “wait and see” is a key aspect here for Odunze due to so many factors. Let’s look at all of them. One, if we are being honest, he hasn’t been as good as we all hoped. That doesn’t mean he’s been bad; he’s been a solid WR and one that Caleb Williams looks to often, but he hasn’t been an elite catcher of the football that can change a game. That’s what the Bears drafted, and he hasn’t been that.
The injuries are also something to keep in mind. I know Odunze tried to clarify the situation with his foot and that it’s not some chronic disaster, but it did cost him 5 games last year, and he was compromised in other games he played. Will this be a lingering problem for him or will it be completely behind him? The Bears definitely would like to see a clean, fairly healthy season from Odunze.
Three, how good does Luther Burden look this year? If Burden breaks out like many people think he could be, if he’s a true WR1 and an elite player, that’s going to impact how you want to treat Odunze moving forward. If Burden is inconsistent and shows flashes but doesn’t put it all together, that’s going to make Odunze more valuable to the franchise.
Right now, there are simply too many factors to consider before the Bears can make a decision on what to do with Odunze. If Odunze breaks out and has a massive season with 1500 yards receiving and 15 touchdowns, then yes, sure, pay him next year and be excited he’s become the player you thought he could be.
There are plenty of NFL analytic nerds that say that all the numbers are there for Odunze to break out and take several steps forward in 2026. Personally, I don’t see it. I think Odunze is a good player. I think Odunze is going to settle in as an excellent WR2, but I just don’t know if he has shown that he is going to step into that WR1 role. As always, I hope I’m wrong. I hope Odunze proves that he’s an elite receiver. I think he’s good to very good and makes him a great WR2 for the Bears or another team if the Bears do move on down the road.
If I’m right and Odunze has another good season, but it isn’t an elite season, I think he’s still a “stash” a year from now. If I’m the Bears, and Odunze has a good year, I would pick up the 5th year option next year and let the 2027 season play out as well, and then you can decide if you want ot extend Odunze after the 2027 season before he heads into his 5th year in Chicago. A fifth-year option for Odunze in Chicago should fall somewhere between $18 and $24 million for that season.
Right now, the range that Odunze could get paid is massive. If he breaks out and becomes an elite receiver, the value of his contract is going to be at least $30 million a year, if not $35 million. If Odunze continues to look like the solid, but not spectacular receiver he has looked like the first two seasons of his career and the Bears do want to keep him around as part of the team, Odunze’s salary should be somewhere between $15 and $20 million a year.
That’s a $20 million gap in average yearly salary depending on how Odunze plays. With that kind of difference, I would like to have two more years of data before I decide what kind of contract to offer him.
It’s also possible that if you wait two more seasons, Burden and Colston Loveland become an incredible duo and maybe even Jahdae Walker or Savion Thomas become reliable targets where Odunze becomes expendable. There are so many factors surrounding Odunze that trying to figure out his contract at this point is nearly impossible.
Don’t just wait one season; wait two seasons. Get as much data on this offense with Burden, Loveland, Odunze, and the others, and figure out who the key pieces are that have to be around for years to come.
Odunze is the most clear “Stash” on the team right now.
