Odunze leads the Bears with 59 targets, 473 receiving yards, and five receiving touchdowns. He’s tied with Olamide Zaccheaus with 31 receptions and averages seven targets per game. Perhaps the Bears could funnel 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 at a Hall of Fame level in those aspects. That’s all I’m focused on.”
James Odunze is the second father of a second-year receiver to call out his son’s usage in recent weeks. Ahead of Week 9, Marvin Harrison Sr. teed off on how the Cardinals used his son – Marvin Harrison Jr., who then 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 how they used the wideout.
The key is that it doesn’t seem to bother Rome, nor affect how he approaches every week.
“Like I say, he has his opinions, and at the end of the day, he’s a Rome fan,” the wideout said. “He’s in full support of Rome Odunze. So, that’s first and foremost for him. But I love my pops.”
The 5-3 Bears face the 2-7 New York Giants on Sunday. Big Blue allows the sixth-most receiving yards in the NFL through Week 9 and the fourth-most yards to wide receivers.