The Chicago Bears have a great problem on their hands. There's only one football and too many mouths to feed, and even a bright offensive mind like Ben Johnson will have to get creative to keep everyone involved.
On paper, Rome Odunze should lead the way for the passing game, but that can change on a week-to-week basis. That's why the third-year pro will have to do much more than just get open and make plays. He'll have to block for his teammates and set the tone with his physical play.
Notably, Odunze has heard that message loud and clear, and he's taken pride in that during training camp. That's why, despite the injury concerns about his foot and all the talk about spreading the wealth on offense, Coach Johnson heaped praise on his young star with a two-word nickname: Mr. Consistency.
Rome Odunze is doing all the little things to help the offense
"Rome? Yeah, Mr. Consistency," Johnson told the media. "I know the dialogue about his foot, and all that... and yet you didn't see any setback from that regard. I thought he looked completely healthy. I showed a highlight to the team of him just the other day, cracking a safety in the joint practice. That inspires me to not want to get him the football, but I need to get him the football when I see things like that. He's doing all the little things, the things that maybe other people don't notice, and the coaching staff is very appreciative of, because it's going to help us win games. He's going to be a key cog of what we do."
It takes a village, and the Bears certainly have one. Luther Burden III, Colston Loveland, and even rookie Zavion Thomas can all go off on any given night, and while that might be frustrating for those playing Fantasy Football, it'll certainly help the Bears stay ahead of the sticks.
Some coaches would rather see their star players stay out of harm's way, avoid contact, and do the bare minimum when they're playing off the ball, but Ben Johnson isn't like most coaches. For him, those who want to get involved will have to do the dirty work and help everyone around them.
Odunze would be the undisputed No. 1 on most teams. Wide receiver usually have big egos and are only happy when they're getting their numbers, but he's said and done all the right things about elevating his teammates and helping the offense in every possible way.
The Bears have all the tools to be the most explosive offense in football. All of their playmakers are potential big-play specialists, and with Caleb Williams getting better and more comfortable in Johnson's quarterback-friendly system, the sky should be the limit for this team.
Granted, Odunze's foot will continue to be a talking point after watching him miss time last season, but even if he's not at full strength at one point, he's already shown a willingness and a knock for doing all the little things that may not pop on the stat sheet but help teams win games — and championships.
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