Bears sign Rome Odunze to $22.7 million deal

David Banks - USA Today Sports

by Tony Crumpton - Senior Editor - Tue Jul 16 13:24:50 GMT-04:00 2024

The Chicago Bears have agreed to terms with No. 9 overall pick Rome Odunze on a four-year, $22.7 million fully guaranteed rookie deal ($4.1 million cap hit this season) with a fifth-year option.

The contract includes a $13.3 million signing bonus.

At Washington, Odunze caught 214 passes for 3,272 yards with 24 touchdowns, including 92 catches for 1,640 yards (FBS-high) with 13 TDs last season.

Those video game numbers last year garnered him AP First-Team All-American and made him a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award.

According to projections by ESPN, Odunze will catch 60 passes for 804 yards and six touchdowns this upcoming season.

Now the Bears wait for No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams to sign his deal as training camp kicks off for veterans on Friday and rookies report today.

The team's first practice is scheduled for Saturday.

Bears bio on Odunze:

The Bears selected Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze with the ninth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

A 6-3, 215 pounder, Odunze comes to Chicago following a four-year stay in Seattle where he caught 214 passes for 3,272 yards with 24 touchdowns and rushed 10 times for 40 yards with two touchdowns in 40 games (29 starts). As a senior, he set school records with 1,640 receiving yards, which led the nation in 2023 and ranks third-most in Pac-12 history. His 92 receptions were second-most in UW history, just two shy of Reggie Williams' record. Along with Williams (2001-03), Odunze was just the second receiver in school history to record multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons, reaching that mark in 2022 and 2023. During his time at Washington, the Huskies went a combined 32-12 and appeared in three bowl games, including the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship.