Steve Smith Sr. believes Bears receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III are primed for a breakout season in 2026 under head coach Ben Johnson.
Even though the Chicago Bears traded DJ Moore this offseason, there is still plenty of optimism surrounding the team's wide receiver room.
Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III are the two headliners for the group. Odunze, 24, is going into his third NFL season after being selected with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Burden, 22, enters Year 2 after an encouraging rookie year.
Former five-time Pro Bowl receiver Steve Smith Sr. is a firm believer in the Bears' pass catchers heading into the 2026 season.
"I don't think there's a defense that Ben Johnson does not feel comfortable attacking with this new rebuilt wide receiver room," Smith said, via 89 with Steve Smith and James Palmer. "I believe that probably can be one of the best young rooms in the National Football League, who has no damn idea what they're doing yet."
There's a lot to unpack with Smith's statement, starting with Johnson's offense. With the playmakers at receiver, tight end and running back, it's safe to say that the Bears' head coach has everything he needs to attack a defense and do so in whatever way he deems best.
Odunze and Burden are talented, but they are young. Smith used a metaphor to illustrate this with the Bears' receivers.
"I had a coach that said this one time," Smith said. "He said, 'Steve, you ain't worth a blind dog in a meat house.' And I never understood that, like what? He goes, 'You're really good because you're following your nose, but you have no idea. [There's] prizes all over the room.'"
My interpretation is that the Bears' receivers are executing what Johnson is calling, which is a good sign, but there's still another level for Odunze and Burden to unlock as they master defensive coverages and continue building chemistry with Caleb Williams.
"This wide receiver room is hitting every level of the field and they have one of the best masterminds that you can do," Smith said. "You done gave the cook a sous chef, a pastry chef, a Michelin star restaurant and it's on Broadway. You going to be cooking with gas and making a whole lot of money and making some people on defense question themselves. ..."
Smith has high expectations for the Bears' offense this season with a majority of the core group returning for the second year in Johnson's scheme. Odunze will need to bounce back after a stress fracture limited him to 12 regular season-games last year. The 6-foot-3, 214-pound receiver caught 44 passes for 661 yards and six touchdowns. He also finished with five drops, according to Pro Football Focus.
There are plenty of stats to highlight how explosive Burden was throughout his rookie season, but his 2.88 yards per route run was the most by a rookie receiver in the last decade.
If Odunze and Burden can elevate their games this season, it won't just raise their individuals stats, it will provide Williams with two ascending pass catchers that can help unlock the full potential of Johnson's offense.
