In a thrilling Week 9 victory in which the Bears scored a season-high 47 points, one would have expected leading receiver Rome Odunze to be a large part of the game plan. That was not the case.
Instead, Odunze was targeted just three times and failed to record a single catch for the first time this season. And no one was more displeased with Odunze's limited usage than his father James, who took to X and retweeted a series of posts from fans venting about Odunze's lack of usage, including one post that urged the Bears to trade Odunze to a team that "will actually throw him the ball."
On Thursday, Odunze was asked about his father's social media activity.
What Odunze said about his father's social media posts
"He has his opinions, I have mine, and he feels like he needs to voice those things on social media. That's his prerogative. He speaks for himself."
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) November 6, 2025
Rome Odunze speaks on his dad voicing his displeasure via social media. pic.twitter.com/DOsZfBN7GL
"I don't make a big deal out it," Odunze said. "You know, obviously he has his opinions, I have mine, and he feels like he needs to voice those things on social media, but that's his prerogative. He speaks for himself. I speak for myself. At the end of the day, he's a Rome fan. You know what I mean? He's in full support of Rome Odunze.
"So that's first and foremost for him. But I love my pops."
It's not the first time that Odunze's father has been vocal on social media in support of his son. Back in Odunze's rookie year, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky questioned the Bears receiver's ability to gain separation from defensive backs, a critique that Odunze's father responded to.
Perhaps Odunze's father was hoping for a similar end result to what occurred with the Arizona Cardinals and second-year receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., whose father and former Hall of Fame wideout Marvin Harrison Sr. openly criticized the team's offense before its Week 9 game, in which his son went on to record a career-best seven receptions.
In fact, Odunze's father lauded the elder Harrison for speaking out about his son's deployment in one of his tweets. Odunze and the Bears take on the Giants in Week 10.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rome Odunze Addresses Father's Social Media Criticisms of Bears.
