The Fight for the Left Tackle Position in the Chicago Bears
After 17 training practices, the Chicago Bears still haven’t defined who will be the starting left tackle in charge of protecting Caleb Williams’ blind side. The competition for this key position has been the main focus of the preseason in Chicago. The battle began with three players competing: Braxton Jones, last season’s starter; Ozzy Trapilo, a promising rookie; and Kiran Amegadjie, a third-round pick. However, this week, Theo Benedet, who was on the Bears’ practice squad in 2024, joined the contest and got the first reps with the first team for three consecutive practices.Coach Ben Johnson has expressed his desire to find the right player, but so far a consistent performance has not been seen. The Bears had a 135-minute practice on Friday with the Buffalo Bills, and the coach hopes the preseason game will help define the starter before the start of the season against Minnesota on September 8. Johnson also left open the possibility of making changes even after the regular season begins. Benedet started at left tackle with the first team for the third consecutive day during the 11-on-11 period, while Jones had his first reps with the starters during a red zone session. Benedet also played in the two-minute drill and started the final ball movement period before being replaced by Jones after four plays. Benedet, coming from the University of British Columbia, has had the majority of his repetitions with the first-team offense during the last three Bears practices, after registering 32 plays as a right tackle and 13 as a left tackle in the 24-24 tie against Miami on August 10.We are looking for clarity.
Ben Johnson, Bears Coach
Jones, who was selected in the fifth round, arrived at training camp with 40 starts in three seasons as a left tackle, but needed to catch up after missing spring practices due to a broken ankle suffered last December. Although Johnson hoped Jones’ experience would help him, the Bears coach approached the competition with a “clean slate”. Trapilo, selected at pick 56, has been in the mix at left tackle since spring. Although he started 10 games at left tackle in 2022, most of his experience was at right tackle. Johnson has noted that the main focus for Trapilo is to improve his game speed.I’m very excited about Theo and what he’s done on both sides.
Ben Johnson, Bears Coach
The fourth contender for the left tackle position is Amegadjie, who missed five practices and the Bears’ first preseason game due to a leg injury. He returned to practice on Monday and has only had repetitions with the backup units. Although the Bears will try out several left tackles, Johnson doesn’t want a rotation during the regular season.There are times when the feet have gotten a little slow.
Ben Johnson, Bears Coach
This will not be a revolving door.
Ben Johnson, Bears Coach
