Rome Odunze opens up about his relationship with Caleb Williams

The Chicago Bears selected wide receiver Rome Odunze with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, just eight selections after they chose quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick. Although receiver was not a top need for the Bears, the organization now has a duo pairing that should be key to their success for the foreseeable future, especially now with Ben Johnson taking over as head coach.

Appearing on San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel's podcast "Cleats & Convos" on Bleacher Report, Odunze spoke about his chemistry with his draft class mate and quarterback. Dating back to their pre-draft meetings with the Bears, Odunze raved about Williams' work ethic and focus on getting the chemistry right between the quarterback and his receivers.

Crediting his quarterback's hunger and drive for greatness, Odunze said the work with Williams began almost instantly as they were preparing for life in the NFL.

"He was working hard [when I first met him] before the draft and trying to get the chemistry down with me, DJ [Moore], and Keenan [Allen], even before I was drafted there," Odunze said. "My expectations were that he has that drive, he has that hunger, and I think that carried over to the season. It was his rookie year, it was a lot of different learning and things for all of us, but he's competitive, he puts everything into it, and I'm excited for the future."

Coming out of USC, Williams had a personality about him that saw him receive plenty of criticism coming into the NFL. Odunze said his quarterback handled it extremely well, and the only judgement he was going to have was about him as a football player.

"I didn't hate him because he painted his nails, I supported it," Odunze said. "He got a lot of hate and stuff in college, I saw the way he led his team, and I had plenty of respect for his game. I know the media always tries to tear players apart for the most part, so I never was going to judge him off that. When I got to meet him and know him, he's fashionable, that's Caleb, that's his personality. When it comes to football and how he treats his teammates, it's A1."

Now both Odunze and Williams are hoping that with Johnson leading them as head coach, they'll bring back winning football to the Bears organization, something that will definitely grow their chemistry.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Rome Odunze opens up about his relationship with Caleb Williams