Odunze leads the Bears with 59 targets, 473 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns. He is tied with Olamide Zaccheaus with 31 receptions and is averaging seven goals per game. Perhaps the Bears could bring more to the second-year receiver, but he’s clearly the top target in the offense at this point.
“Oh, man. I’m happy,” Odunze said. “I’m just trying to do my job within this organization as a leader, as a person, as an individual and then as a football player. So trying to excel in the Hall of Fame in those aspects. That’s all I’m focused on.”
James Odunze is another father of a second-year receiver to call out his son’s usage in recent weeks. Ahead of Week 9, Marvin Harrison Sr. weighed in on how the Cardinals used his son — Marvin Harrison Jr., who caught a career-high seven passes last week.
Fathers having their sons’ backs is nothing new. Odell Beckham’s father famously took the Browns to task for the way they used the wide receiver.
The key is that it doesn’t seem to bother Rome, nor affect how he approaches each week.
“As I say, he has his opinions and at the end of the day he’s a Roma fan,” said the wide man. “He’s in full support of Rome Odunze. So, it’s for him first and foremost. But I love my pop.”
The 5-3 Bears face the 2-7 New York Giants on Sunday. Big Blue is allowing the sixth-most yards in the NFL through Week 9 and the fourth-most yards to a wide receiver.