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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 26: Rome Odunze #15 of the Chicago Bears warms up in the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on October 26, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bears decided to have wide receiver Rome Odunze channel his inner Bob Ross for this year’s NFL schedule release video, in which The Athletic ranked 12th out of the 32 schedule release videos this offseason.

“We have our second player-turned-painter schedule reveal with wide receiver Rome Odunze as Bob Ross,” The Athletic’s Jayna Bardahl wrote. “In contrast to the Giants‘ Winston Van Gogh, this one is calmer, and Odunze does a great job acting the part. He adds detail that nod to the Bears’ opponents and to add texture to the trees, Odunze uses — you guessed it — a cheese grater. ‘Isn’t that satisfying?’ Odunze says while he grates the canvas. The most entertaining part is how much Odunze leaned into the role; he was perfect. Of course, there’s a ‘good, better, best’ reference too.”

In all honesty, it was nice to have a relaxing schedule release video, and Odunze played the role of Bob Ross extremely well, especially since he didn’t have to wear a wig for this.

Odunze sat down with Front Office Sports and talked more about how the schedule release video all came together.

Bears WR Rome Odunze Comments on Channeling His Inner Bob Ross

For Rome Odunze, apparently, he’s a method actor.

“So they came to me with the idea, mostly because of the fro. You know, when the fro is out, I get all the different comparisons, so obviously they resonated with Bob Ross and wanted to turn into the schedule. Put on my best acting cap and try to, you know, become Bob. I’m a method actor, so I hope it turns out well for the fans and that people enjoy it.”

Even if Odunze wasn’t alive to watch Ross paint on live television, he said he used to watch Ross back in the day loved how he made it feel like anyone could paint what he was painting.

“I watched Bob back in the day, a little bit you know, not when he was airing. I don’t know if I was alive, and I don’t know if it’s that old, maybe I’m out of touch, but yeah, I watched it when it was on Netflix for a while. I used to just have it in the background. I thought it was peaceful, and I like art, you know? He had the classic kind of relatable sort of painting. You know, he made it feel like anybody could do it, you know what I mean? Even though it was spectacular. But then, definitely when I got the opportunity, I had to get into the film study, see his mannerisms, and try to emulate that for sure.”

Odunze’s favorite Bob Ross line? “‘Beat the heck out of you when you’re cleaning your brush, you got to smack the side of the frame and beat the heck out of it,’ that was a good one.”

More on the Bears’ 2026 Schedule

The schedule release video with Rome Odunze as the star, as of Saturday May 16th, has 1.4 million views on X and around 59,000 likes on Instagram.

That’s the good news for the Bears. The bad news is that Chicago has the toughest schedule in the NFL, with opponents having a .550 combined win percentage from last season.

“History hasn’t been kind to teams in the Bears’ position,” ESPN’s Courtney Cronin wrote. “The 2016 Falcons are the last team to win a playoff game the season in which they started with the league’s toughest strength of schedule. Only three of the past 10 teams to navigate the NFL’s hardest schedule made it to the postseason, including the 2023 Eagles and 2021 Steelers. Both lost in the wild-card round.”

If the Bears want to defy the odds this season, they’ll need to rely on guys like Odunze to elevate their game.