Inside The Huskies

Odunze signs with Bears, Third Husky First-Rounder Under Contract

The former Husky wide receiver agreed to a four-year, $22.7 million deal with Chicago.

Dan Raley

Rome Odunze holds court with the media before Chicago Bears rookie minicamp.
Rome Odunze holds court with the media before Chicago Bears rookie minicamp. / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Rome Odunze comes from Las Vegas, where personal fortunes routinely are squandered So he did the smart thing by going to Seattle for college and now lives and works in Chicago, all of which has made him a multi-millionaire on very solid footing, well away from his casino-heavy hometown.

On Tuesday, the former University of Washington wide receiver signed his NFL rookie contract with the Bears, agreeing to a four-year, $22.7 million fully guaranteed contract, which includes a $13.3 signing bonus, according to the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Odunze is the third of three first-round draft picks from this past Husky football team to secure extremely rich financial futures, joining quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who signed a four-year $22.88 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons, with a $13.46 million signing bonus; and offensive tackle Troy Fautanu, who put his signature to a four-year, $15 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, one that rewarded him with a $7.7 million signing bonus.

In April, Penix was the eighth overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft, Odunze went at No. 9 and Fautanu was taken with the 20th selection.

In Chicago, people are banking on Odunze becoming the franchise's No. 1 receiver in due time and he looked every bit the part during recent OTAs and minicamp, picking up the offense right away and looking ever so smooth in his routes.

Odunze has not only given a preview of what he can do with the Bears, NFL followers last week got an insider look on the HBO series Hard Knocks of the New York Giants staff interviewing the one-time Husky pass-catcher before the draft and being very impressed with him and what he had to say.

Asked what was his best trait, Odunze responded ever so confidently, "I would say my versatility. I played inside a lot in my career in some of my earlier days. I’m a blocker. I can get down on the line and get the job done. And I think I played pretty well outside. So you can plug and put me wherever you want, I’m going to get the job done.”

And he's going to be paid handsomely for those services.

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Dan Raley

DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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