Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles did himself a tremendous favor ahead of the biggest transaction window teams get to reshape their roster.
Coming off an 11-win season and the No. 2 seed in the NFC, the Bears still have several areas of concern to address. One of their biggest concerns is left tackle. Starter and 2025 second-round pick Ozzy Trapilo ruptured his patella tendon in the playoffs.
Rather than leave themselves totally bereft of options, the Bears looked inward.
Bears Hedge Bets With Roster Move Amid Ozzy Trapilo Injury
Theo Benedet Re-Signs With Bears
The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain reported on Thursday that the Bears were bringing Theo Benedet back to the roster for 2026.
“Quick Bears roster note: Theo Benedet, who was an ERFA, is signed for 2026 (one year, $1M),” Fishbain posted on X on February 5. “Benedet, a college RT, had never played a snap at LT before training camp. Started 8 games. Finished 4th in ESPN’s run block win rate among OTs. Now gets a full offseason to train at LT.”
The insider supported the idea of keeping the 2024 undrafted free agent in the mix.
However, that was purely about Benedet’s continued development and not Trapilo’s recovery, which is expected to linger deep into next season.
The injury carries a six-to-12-month recovery timeline. That would put Trapilo on track to return in July at the earliest and January 2027 at the latest. There is no telling how the Bears’ season would look by then.
Braxton Jones, a fifth-round pick in 2022 who opened the season as the starter, is a free agent.
Jones spoke candidly with Clocker Sports at the end of the season and sounded open to returning, but it remains to be seen if that is the case and if it would be reciprocated.
Theo Benedet Still Has Room to Grow
Benedet struggled in pass protection but, as his history on the right side might suggest, fared better as a run blocker. Similarly, Trapilo did not thrive at left tackle during his initial stint there. He re-emerged as the starter in Week 12.
That could bode well for Benedet, who has already surpassed expectations.
For the Bears, they no longer have to force finding (and potentially overpaying) a replacement for Trapilo, even a short-term solution. They also retain a player they have already invested in who has shown promise.
The Bears notably opted to slide left guard Joe Thuney to LT in the NFC Divisional Playoffs against the Los Angeles Rams. They moved reserve guard Jordan McFadden into the starting lineup over Benedet.
While that may have been a matchup-based decision, it stands out in light of this move.
Because of that, offensive tackle cannot be ruled out as a potential target for the Bears this offseason. That is even with Benedet back on the roster.