Bears WR Rome Odunze receives incredible player comp from ex-NFL star

The Chicago Bears’ 2024 NFL Draft prayers were answered when Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze slid to the ninth overall pick, allowing GM Ryan Poles to select the player he said ranked at the top of his wish list. Odunze joins the Bears with fellow first-round rookie Caleb Williams and is a big reason why the excitement around this team is at an all-time high.

It’s difficult not to get excited about Odunze, especially after recent comments by former NFL star wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

“Rome is just that type of dude,” Houshmandzadeh said during an appearance on The Herd. “He’s just going to do the right thing all the time. Not because he has to think about it. That’s just who he is … he’s talented, man,” he said.

Rome Odunze 2023 Season Highlights. pic.twitter.com/yHIx4pTtgT

— ImBearingDown (@ImBearingDown) April 26, 2024

Just how talented does Houshmandzadeh think Odunze is? How about this Hall-of-Fame comp:

“He’s like Larry Fitzgerald, but he can run.”

Yes, that Larry Fitzgerald. The one who played 17 years in the NFL—all with the Arizona Cardinals—caught 1,432 passes for 17,492 yards and 121 touchdowns.

It’s unfair to compare any incoming rookie to an NFL legend like Fitzgerald, but it’s hard not to see the similarities. They’re big-bodied pass-catchers who win with top-shelf route running and body control. Fitzgerald ran a 4.48 at his Pro Day, while Odunze ran a 4.45 at the 2024 NFL Combine. Fitzgerald totaled 1,672 receiving yards in his final season at Pitt, while Odunze went for 1,640 last season for Washington.

Larry Fitzgerald ended his career with nine seasons of over 1,000 receiving yards, including four years with more than 1,400 yards.

If Rome Odunze comes anywhere near Fitzgerald’s level of production during his career with the Chicago Bears, he’ll go down as one of the greatest players in franchise history. There’s a long way to go until then, but for now, it certainly seems like the Bears’ offense is lucky to have Odunze on its side.