Bears' Rome Odunze is prepared for anything under new head coach Ben Johnson, including potential trick plays with Caleb Williams
The Chicago Bears' offense is about to get much more exciting in 2025 with new head coach Ben Johnson coming to town.With the Detroit Lions, Johnson's offense was the best and most innovative unit in the entire league and fans should expect nothing less in Chicago. Johnson's new unit already features multiple exciting weapons and players […]
The Chicago Bears' offense is about to get much more exciting in 2025 with new head coach Ben Johnson coming to town.
With the Detroit Lions, Johnson's offense was the best and most innovative unit in the entire league and fans should expect nothing less in Chicago.
Johnson's new unit already features multiple exciting weapons and players in quarterback Caleb Williams, wide receivers DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, and tight end Cole Kmet. And Johnson is bringing the missing energy to help elevate that core.
"I liked his intensity," Odunze said on the "Up & Adams Show" on Wednesday. "I thought he brought a level of intensity that was inspiring and kind of uplifting. I think he's going to bring that to the organization, the team as a whole, and I think that's what we need."
While Johnson's energy and coaching-style will be a major boost for the unit, the incoming play-book will be the most important piece of this new hire.
With the Lions, Johnson's unit led the NFL in points per game scored and ranked second in the NFL in total yards per game during the 2024 season.
Another key trait of Johnson's scheme in Detroit was the implementation of trick plays, most famously the "Stumble Bum" trick play that was used against the Bears at Solider Field to fool Chicago's defense with his new offense on the sidelines watching.
“I remember watching the replays and being like, ‘What happened?’ That was fresh in the moment, we didn’t know if they did it on purpose or if it was a trick play. Watching it back, that was an incredible play,” Odunze said on the PFT Live set at Radio Row.
One of the main assistants responsible for some of the Lions' trick plays in 2024, and years prior, was J.T. Barrett, who is now the Bears' new quarterbacks coach. Now that Johnson and Barrett are teaming back up in Chicago, some players on the Bears are already thinking about what kind of trick plays could be on the way in 2025.
“Whatever he needs me to do in the offense, I’m going to get it done. If that’s warming my arm up, have Caleb go run routes in the offseason, I might have to do that, just to practice,” Odunze added.
Seeing Odunze, or even Moore, drop back to throw some passes would be extremely exciting to see next season. I mean we already saw Keenan Allen throw a pass last season, even though it was a pass he'd love to have back.
DJ Moore and Rome Odunze pitch who they would like to see join the Bears’ WR room in 2025 and it would be an exciting option
Could the Bears pull this off?
