The Chicago Bears' playoff hopes in 2025 rest on their young stars, and ESPN named two key players as breakout candidates who could lead the team to success.
The 2024 season didn't go as planned for the Chicago Bears, especially after the hype surrounding Caleb Williams as the No. 1 pick. Add in the spotlight from HBO's Hard Knocks, and expectations were sky-high, making their 5-12 finish even tougher to swallow.
But hope is a powerful thing. When Caleb Williams was joined by Rome Odunze as Chicago's first-round picks in the 2024 NFL draft, Bears fans had plenty of reasons to believe in a brighter future. And that hope remains even one disappointing season later.
Apparently, ESPN has hope for the Bears, too.
Several of ESPN's featured NFL writers came together to offer their predictions on a variety of topics for the 2025 NFL season, and when it came to which player would be next year's breakout star, Williams and Odunze got some love.
Matt Bowen is Team Odunze.
"Under Ben Johnson, I expect Odunze to elevate his game as a three-level target for quarterback Caleb Williams," he wrote. "And with Keenan Allen likely heading to free agency, Odunze will see a bump in volume as the No. 2 opposite DJ Moore."
Kalyn Kahler is Team Williams.
"If the Bears improve their offensive line, I expect Williams to have the season we all thought he would in 2024, pushing himself into the same conversation as Jayden Daniels," she wrote. "Johnson will coach him harder and free him up so he feels ownership of the offense."
The best part? They're both Team Bears.
The Chicago Bears and GM Ryan Poles drafted Caleb Williams No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft with the expectation he'd develop into one of the league's most dynamic quarterbacks. With the No. 9 pick, they added Rome Odunze, envisioning him as a game-changing weapon to help unlock Williams' full potential in the passing attack.
Both players had solid rookie seasons, but the buzz around them has been somewhat muted, overshadowed by the electrifying performances of other first-year standouts in 2024.
No quarterback could rival what Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels did last season, and Jaguars rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was downright spectacular.
Comparing Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze to Daniels (or Bo Nix) and Brian Thomas Jr. (or Malik Nabers) is a losing battle for the Bears duo.
However, there's a key factor to consider: Williams and Odunze spent much of their rookie seasons under the shaky leadership of Matt Eberflus and Shane Waldron. Now, they'll be coached by Ben Johnson, the NFL's most brilliant offensive mind.
Predicting Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze as NFL breakout candidates in 2025 feels like a no-brainer, which should have Chicago Bears fans revving the hype machine once again.