Rodney Adams catches TD, celebrates birth of daughter

Rodney Adams caught Andy Dalton’s pass, wrestled himself away from the defender and sprinted up the right sideline for a 73-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter Saturday. When he got into the end zone, he rocked the football like a baby.

The night before, he was rocking a real baby. His wife gave birth to a girl, Brexleigh Michelle, on Friday. Adams slept on the couch in her hospital room for about five hours before driving directly to Soldier Field on Saturday morning.

It wasn’t a good sleep, he admitted.

“But having a little girl next to you? Nothing else matters,” he said.

Adams is quickly making a name for himself with the Bears. Saturday, he led the team in receiving yards for the second time in as many preseason games. He had three catches for 89 yards one week after posting four for 57.

Adams turns 27 next month and has never caught a pass in an NFL game. But he has a chance to stick as the Bears’ sixth receiver, behind Allen Robinson, Darnell Mooney, Marquise Goodwin, Damiere Byrd and rookie Dazz Newsome.

He’s trying not to think about it with cuts 10 days away.

“I mean, I don’t want to,” he said. “But I’m trying to get 100% better every single day. I’m not thinking about 10 days ahead. What’s the challenge tomorrow? What’s the challenge the next day ? I’m not thinking 10 days ahead, I’m thinking, ‘What’s going to happen tomorrow?’”

What happened Saturday, though, was memorable in itself.

“He just had a baby and made that play,” Dalton said. “I think he rocked the baby afterward. That was pretty good.”