Summer is the season of eternal optimism in the NFL world. Thanks to a combination of rookie draft picks, free agent signings, and the general idea of parity in the league, all 32 teams spend the summer believing that this year could truly be their year.
Optimism might be highest in the Windy City, where after a 7-10 season there is legitimate talk of a playoff run for the Chicago Bears. General Manager Ryan Poles made a number of key additions this spring, particularly in the draft where the Bears added quarterback Caleb Williams with the first-overall selection, and provided him with a potential game-breaking wide receiver a few picks later in Rome Odunze.
And speaking at Bears’ mandatory minicamp Wednesday, the rookie receiver stated that he has some lofty goals entering his first NFL campaign. Specifically, chasing a record set by a former college teammate.
“I think that’s important for every player to set those goals and strive for the highest of the highs,” Odunze said Wednesday. “It’s unique in my situation because I went to school with Puka Nacua, so I was following him and got to see what he did, so, absolutely, I’m chasing that. I think he’s right around 1,500, right? For that rookie season record. Absolutely chasing that.”
While Nacua is perhaps best known for what he did at BYU, where he spent his final two college seasons, he began his college career at Washington.
Where he was teammates with Odunze.
As a rookie with the Los Angeles Rams Nacua set a number of records, including the most receiving yards for a rookie (1,486, breaking the record set by Bill Groman in 1960 over a 14-game season) as well as the most receptions by a rookie (105, breaking the mark set by Jaylen Waddle of 104 back in 2021).
As if those goals were not lofty enough, Odunze has some franchise records in mind.
“I think Brandon Marshall has the single-season record here, right?” added the rookie receiver.
Brandon Marshall owns Chicago’s single-season receiving yardage mark of 1,508, and is another record the rookie is targeting. Along with the career receiving yardage mark of 5,059, set by Johnny Morris.
“Of course, chasing those records, and I think that’s important because, you know, I said this at Washington, I hopefully leave the Bears organization better than I found it,” he said. “And if I have my name on some of those records, I feel like that’s just one facet of doing so.”
Summer of optimism.