Rome Odunze addresses dad's Bears gripes

Matt Sullivan

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Rome Odunze reveals strong stance on his dad's Bears complaints image

The Chicago Bears are 5-4 and are coming off a wild comeback win over the Cincinnati Bengals. But, amid the 47-42 win, Rome Odunze, the number one receiver of the Bears, didn't record a single catch.

On his three targets, Odunze didn't haul in a catch despite the offensive explosion. After this lackluster individual performance, Odunze's father, James Odunze, reposted a message calling for Odunze to be traded "to a team that will throw to him."

With a lot of attention on these social media posts, Courtney Cronin of ESPN shared Odunze's reaction to his father's posts, and his stance is a strong one.

Odunze brushes off dad's complaints

"I don't make a big deal out of it," Odunze said, "Obviously, he has his opinions and I have mine. And he feels like he needs to voice those things on social media. That's his prerogative. But he speaks for himself. I speak for myself."

While Odunze, the 9th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has reason to be frustrated for a lack of targets, he's downplaying his father's complaints, committing to the Bears in the process.

Through nine weeks, Odunze has 59 targets, 473 receiving yards, and five touchdowns, all of which lead the team. His 31 receptions are tied for first with Olamide Zaccheaus.

The 23-year-old is showing his maturity in handling this situation, as he's downplaying his father's complaints respectfully.

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"Like I say, he has his opinions, and at the ned of the day, he's a Rome fan," Odunze said of his father. "He's in full support of Rome Odunze. So that's first and foremost for him. But I love my pops."

This isn't the first time in sports history a family member has complained about their relative's playing time or usage. While it could balloon into something worse, Odunze took control of the situation and downplayed his father's complaints.

Odunze isn't worried about his role, which is still key for the Bears to win games. Ben Johnson is still going to utilize Odune going forward. This performance was an anomaly, and he will still be featured in the offense the rest of the season.

He'll get a chance to bounce back from this lackluster Week 9 performance with a matchup against the New York Giants. The Giants' struggling defense is a great get-right opportunity for Odunze to alleviate his father's concerns.

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