After being listed as questionable coming into the week with a calf injury, former Washington Huskies star wide receiver Rome Odunze showed up in a big way as the Chicago Bears rolled to a 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers.
Although his impact on the stat sheet was moderate, as he hauled in a pair of receptions for 52 yards, his first catch of the season came in a key spot. On second-and-8 from Chicago's own 47-yard line, Caleb Williams rolled out to his right and fired deep down the sideline to Odunze, who went up and over cornerback Will Lee III (a former UW target under then-coach Kalen DeBoer, who took an official visit to Montlake during the 2022 season) for a 47-yard gain.
Three plays later, running back D'Andre Swift punched in one of
his three touchdowns on the day, and for head coach Ben Johnson, the contested catch was a great sign after the 2023 Consensus All-American missed five games with a foot fracture towards the end of the 2025 season.
🗣️ ROOOOOOME ODUUUUUNZE
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 13, 2026
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/upRsL6ndv8
"Seeing Rome go up and make that sideline catch, that’s who he is, and that was really encouraging to see," Johnson said in his postgame press conference on Sunday.
Odunze got just three targets from Williams in the blowout win, which tied him for third on the team behind receivers Khalif Raymond and Luther Burden III, but it doesn't feel like a major concern with the way the Bears ran the ball, as they racked up 39 attempts for 291 yards and 6 scores.
As the former No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 draft looks to assert himself as the top option in Chicago's offense, he'll have a great chance to do so in Week Two against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, September 20.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Rome Odunze pulls down highlight reel grab in Chicago Bears opener
