Chicago Bears offensive tackle Jedrick Wills did not take Saturday for granted.
It marked his first NFL game–preseason or otherwise–since Week 9 of the 2024 season. Then, Wills was in his fifth season with the Cleveland Browns, the same team he helped defeat in a preseason-opening rout as a first-year Bear.
His performance, uneven by his own admission, held a lot of significance as the former first-round draft pick looks to restart his career.
Bears’ Jedrick Wills Relishes Win Over Former Team as Comeback Continues
Jedrick Wills Candid After Bears Beat Browns
Wills had not played a competitive football game in 650 days before taking the field for the Bears behind starting left tackle (for this game at least) Kiran Amegadjie.
“All thanks to God, No. 1, to be able to play the game again,” Wills told Clocker Sports in the locker room after the 34-10 victory. “But it’s a little weird at first, getting out there and getting the first-hit butterflies out. Getting a couple of plays on your belt. But it felt good. A couple things to clean up as we move forward in practice. But yeah, it felt good, bro.”
He also enjoyed getting to see some familiar faces on the other side.
“Yeah, it was cool seeing some former teammates and going against those guys and seeing the Cleveland Browns uniform,” Wills told Clocker Sports. “It’s a little weird, but I mean, you couldn’t plan for a better first game.”
That he was able to help get a win against his former team “most definitely” made it sweeter for Wills, who told Clocker Sports, “That was the main goal. We talked about that all week.
“If anything, we gotta win, you know what I mean?”
Jedrick Wills: ‘It’s Just the Beginning’
Wills is not making a mountain out of a relative molehill. He understands that this was still an early step in his journey back. He has started 57 of 58 regular-season games played in his career and remains in a competition for the Bears’ LT1 job.
“It’s just the beginning,” Wills told Clocker Sports. “Like I said, we got some things to clean up. Get back to the film and get back to practice, and just get better and keep reflecting. I’ve been out of ball for almost–since the ‘24 season. So, it’s gonna take some time. But, you know, it felt good to get my feet under me again.”
Wills also revealed a telling message from Bears offensive line coach Dan Roushar.
“He said he’s super proud of me and how far I’ve came, all the stuff I had to overcome and get back on the field. So, just keep working, keep working at it, keep getting better, and we’re just gonna stack days.”
Indeed, Wills has a long way to go, but Saturday was as promising a step on his comeback journey as he has had since joining the Bears.
Jedrick Wills’ Next Test is Familiar Foe
Next week, the Bears will travel to face the Cincinnati Bengals. It is a team Wills, the No. 10 overall pick of the 2020 draft, knows well from his Browns days, but it is also unclear where he will slot in on the depth chart. Amegadjie emerged from Saturday’s contest unscathed.
Moreover, Braxton Jones–who led the LT1 reps during training camp before suffering an injury–returned to practice last week. The Bears also have confidence in swing tackle Theo Benedet.
At this point, though, Wills is used to facing adversity, with the Bears’ LT battle just the latest.
