Rome Odunze, Caleb Williams won’t ‘split’ or fight over first career TD ball originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
INDIANAPOLIS — When Caleb Williams hit Rome Odunze for a 1-yard touchdown during the fourth quarter of the Bears’ 21-16 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, everyone had the same question.
Who gets to keep the ball?
After Odunze hauled in the scoring strike, he and Williams celebrated with a choreographed celebration that saw the rookie signal-caller chase after the receiver to try and retrieve the memento.
But that was all for show. There was no debate on who would get to keep the ball.
“We’re going to cut it in half,” Odunze joked after the Bears’ loss. “He’ll get the right, I’ll get the left like the Twix factory. But nah, I think he’s going to give me this one. He’s going to have plenty in his career, a lot more than me, so he blessed me with this first one.”
As for the celebration, the Bears’ top rookies had that in the works just in case NFL fate allowed them to enter the NFL scoring books together.
“We talked about that being our celebration just because that was both of our first touchdowns,” Odunze said with a smile.
Sunday’s loss in Indianapolis was an early deflating moment for the 2024 Bears, but the improved connection between their two young stars is a silver lining they can build on.
“I’ve told Rome that I’m going to get him the ball some more,” Williams said. “Some of the practice reps, some of the after-practice reps that Rome and I have been getting these past couple weeks, I think it pays off and we’re going to keep doing it. I want to obviously build that connection and have that trust and belief in each other.”
Odunze was happy to get on the stat sheet, but that’s not what the young Bears are chasing.
“Yeah, it’s always good to be able to build that individual chemistry with him, so I can be an asset to this offense.” Odunze said. “But when it’s not enough to get the W, it doesn’t feel right. But making those plays together and continuing to build on that will be good us going through the season.”
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