Throughout the offseason, the Chicago Bears have been tied to free agent left tackle Taylor Decker. He is familiar with Ben Johnson and could hold down a starting spot until they figure things out.Â
With the team heading into their second preseason game and the left tackle situation being as muddled as it was to start camp, it has not stopped the discussion. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report recently paired the two together as his best fit for Decker.Â
"The Chicago Bears would also be a solid landing spot for Decker, and not just because of his connection to Ben Johnson. The Bears have late-2025 starter Ozzy Trapilo coming off a torn patellar tendon and no clear leader in their camp competition at left tackle."Kristopher Knox
However, while it makes sense on paper, at this point in the offseason, the Bears are likely best with what they have.Â
Chicago Bears do not need to sign Taylor Decker
One of the biggest developments between the start of training camp and now is the activation of tackle Ozzy Trapilo. He is still slowly coming back, and all expectations are for him to be placed on the IR and miss the first four weeks.Â
However, his return does signal the reality that he will be back much sooner than expected. So, Decker would be even more of a short-term solution. Every day he does not sign makes the addition less useful.
They have not signed him because, while they have not gotten clarity on the four options, they have four options on the roster competing for the spot. All indications are that Braxton Jones has a firm lead, and the Bears are just seeing if anyone can knock him off.
They tried Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills. Now, they are trying Theo Benedet. Still, that gives them four players who have worked in this offense, stood next to Joe Thuney, and understood the protection calls from Caleb Williams.Â
They could sign Decker. It could take a few weeks for him to get up to speed. The team could head into Week 1 unsure if he is even the best option for them. He could start for a couple of weeks, shake the rust off, and once he starts to become an actual asset, the team will bench him for Trapilo.Â
Williams is more familiar with the four options and started behind Jones in both of his two NFL seasons to date.Â
Last year, the Bears started Jones early and finished with Trapilo. That appeared to be good enough for them, and it might be the route they go again this year. They could still add Decker, but it is starting to seem unlikely.Â
| More Bears News and Rumors |
Add us as a preferred source on Google