Aside from the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Rome Odunze has never had to wait as long as he has in 2026 to haul in his first touchdown reception.
Under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football, the former Washington Huskies star wide receiver was done waiting.
Odunze put the Chicago Bears ahead on the board in opening series against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers through a 9-yard strike from Caleb Williams after he put fifth-year cornerback Zyon McCollum on skates and provided a wide-open target to cap off the 10-play, 53-yard drive and take a 7-0 lead.
The 2024 first-round pick made at least one catch on each of the Bears' first three possessions in the 27-24 Week 9 victory, which helped the NFC North organization take an early 11-point lead that
proved crucial as the Buccaneers tried but ultimately failed to mount a fourth quarter comeback at Soldier Field.
What a route by Rome Odunze 👏
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Odunze followed his opening score with a 23-yard reception to begin Chicago's second offensive series that ended with a 56-yard catch-and-run to fellow receiver Luther Burden to put the team ahead 14-0 with six minutes left in the first quarter.
He added catches of 16 yards and 12 yards on the Bears' third possession while also being targeted two other times on the drive, the second of which resulted in the first of four interceptions on the night for Williams when Tykee Smith broke in front of the ex-UW star at the goal line to end the drive.
Odunze finished with 4 receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown, his third straight game with four catches and 60-plus receiving yards this season, after just one game of 60-plus receiving in Chicago's first six games in 2026.
The No. 9 overall selection in the 2024 draft hadn't waited longer than Week 3 in his first two seasons in the league to record either a touchdown reception or a 60-plus receiving-yard game, yet that didn't deter Odunze from remaining consistent and dependable for second-year head coach Ben Johnson.
Prior to that, Odunze only had one season at UW, his freshman season under former coach Jimmy Lake in 2020 when the Huskies played only four games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, where he failed to find the end zone at least once. He hauled in his first college score in his seventh career appearance against UCLA, a 24-17 road defeat, and caught a touchdown in the Huskies' season openers in 2022 and 2023, as he emerged as one of the best receivers in the Pac-12.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Rome Odunze Grabs First TD of 2026 in Bears' 27-24 Win Over Bucs
