Bears' Rome Odunze shares 4-word message as Keenan Allen marks his 33rd birthday

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze celebrated former teammate Keenan Allen this weekend. He shared a photo on his Instagram Story of the two on the field during a Bears' game in the 2024 NFL season.

Odunze then added a caption that sent birthday wishes to Allen on his 33rd birthday on Sunday.

"Happy G Day Slay @keenan13allen!!" Odunze wrote.

Odunze celebrated fellow wide receiver Keenan Allen on his birthday. (Photo via Instagram Story)

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Rome Odunze and Keenan Allen were teammates on the Chicago Bears last season. The veteran wide receiver who spent 11 seasons with the Chargers was traded to the Bears in March 2024.

Allen, who is a free agent, had 70 catches for 744 yards and seven touchdowns with the Bears last season.

Rome Odunze named Brian Piccolo Award recipient

Each year, the Chicago Bears name two players, one veteran and one rookie, with the Brian Piccolo Award. The award is given to two players who demonstrate dedication, teamwork, courage, a sense of humor and loyalty during the NFL season.

Rome Odunze was named the rookie recipient of the award, while linebacker T.J. Edwards was named the veteran recipient, making him a two-time winner of the coveted award. Chicago Bears players voted on the award each season, which shows that Odunze has made an impact on his teammates in just one season.

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The award is named in honor of Chicago Bears halfback Brian Piccolo, who died in 1970 at just 26 years old after a battle with a rare form of cancer called embryonal cell carcinoma.

Odunze became the first rookie wide receiver to earn the Brian Piccolo Award since 2020 when Darnell Mooney did so.

In 17 games last season, Odunze had 54 receptions for 734 yards and three touchdowns. The 2024 first-round draft pick also had three rushes for 15 yards.

About the author

Bethany Cohen is an NFL writer at Sportskeeda, with a rich prior 15-year experience in the sports writing industry, primarily covering the MLB and MiLB. She majored in Communications from the University of South Florida and has previously worked for top companies such as Examiner.com and Legends on Deck.

Bethany owes her NFL allegiance to the Pittsburgh Steelers owing to their long-standing tradition and competitiveness. She is a fan of old stalwarts such as Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris and would love to watch them in the 1970s if she manages to get her hand on a time machine. She also acknowledges the greatness of modern icons like T.J. Watt for his desire to continuously improve despite being on top. She admires coaches Mike Tomlin and Andy Reid for their longevity and success.

The ace reporter credits her knowledge and love for the sport to be her biggest reporting strengths. Prior fact-checking is a big component of her process and she always scours through additional sources to ensure complete accuracy in her content.

Super Bowl XLIII, when the Steelers won the the grand prize after Santonio Holmes’ epic catch in the end zone with just seconds left on the clock is etched in Bethany’s memory forever. When she is free of her professional commitments, she likes to attend sports events and music concerts.

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Edited by Joseph Schiefelbein