The first half of the Chicago Bears' season has seen plenty of breakout performances, including one coming from wide receiver Rome Odunze. The second-year playmaker is on pace to smash his rookie performance with 31 receptions for 473 receiving yards and five touchdowns in eight games; however, his electric campaign was temporarily put on hold when he was held without a catch in Sunday's win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Although goose eggs happen all of the time in sports, Odunze's latest outing is more disappointing since it comes off the heels of a seven-catch, 114-yard performance in Week 8. A new week offers the 23-year-old WR a chance to put the dud behind him, but not as long as his father has anything to say about it.
Rome Odunze's Dad Seemingly Wants His Son Traded
Odunze's father, James, posted a pin emoji in response to a fan saying that the Bears should trade the talented wideout "to a team that will actually throw to him." Considering how the fan's X post was made on Oct. 19, it's clear that the elder Odunze did some digging to send a message to his son's team.
In fact, Odunze's father has spent the last day or so retweeting posts that showcase displeasure regarding the Bears WR's opportunities, including one demanding 10 targets per game. He even wrote "Good for Sr." regarding a quote from NFL legend Marvin Harrison Sr., who recently said it's been hard watching his son in the Arizona Cardinals' offense.
Putting two and two together, it's easy to see what the Bear's father is trying to say.
On one hand, a season-low three targets was disappointing for Odunze, especially after averaging eight in the first seven games. On the other hand, the ex-Washington Huskie had a couple of glaring blunders in Sunday's win (h/t @SMHighlights1), and his 8.8% drop percentage is the worst among Bears WRs as of Week 10.
Having said that, Monday is far from the first time that Odunze's father has stirred up some controversy. He was constantly feuding with Caleb Williams last season, calling the Bears' franchise quarterback out for not getting the ball enough to the young pass-catcher. It's becoming clearer that the drama will always be there unless Odunze is posting a WR1-like stat line.
Hopefully, this storm passes so that Odunze can get back to playing distraction-free football. While it's normal for a parent to want what's best for their child, Odunze's father can't keep throwing a fit after every quiet game. The Bears need their No. 1 wideout's head to be straight to have the best shot at winning, and that'll be impossible if the status quo remains.
Here's to hoping that Odunze has a strong performance against the New York Giants in Week 10 so that his father doesn't have a reason to log into his X account next weekend.