Heading into the second week of preseason, Chicago Bears fans are keeping an eye on a few position battles, including to see who emerges as the starter at left tackle.
The Bears did an outstanding job of retooling their offensive line, which was one of the worst in the league last year. Chicago signed center Drew Dalman in free agency and then traded for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, who should solidify the guard spots. And then there’s Darnell Wright, who has done a good job holding down right tackle.
Even though the Bears’ O-line looks 10 times better on paper, they still need to figure out who will start at left tackle.
For most of camp and the first preseason game, the ongoing battle has been between Braxton Jones and Ozzy Trapilo. However, a new contender entered the fray during Wednesday’s practice.
Now Theo Benedet with some first team reps at left tackle in team drills. The moment the 3-man battle became a 4-man cage match?
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) August 13, 2025
Theo Benedet Gets First-Team Reps at Wednesday’s Practice
According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, second-year offensive lineman Theo Benedet got some first-team reps at left tackle during Wednesday’s practice.
The 6-foot-7 Benedet is entering his second season with the Bears after he was signed as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 NFL Draft. Benedet played his collegiate ball at the University of British Columbia and also spent his rookie season on the practice squad.
Benedet played 45 snaps in the Bears’ preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins and had an overall grade of 66.5 on PFF. The former UBC standout held his own in pass blocking as he didn’t allow a single pressure in 29 snaps, per Erik Lambert of Sports Mockery.
Something that I think deserves mentioning after Sunday.
— Erik Lambert (@ErikLambert1) August 11, 2025
Theo Benedet didn't allow a single pressure in 29 pass blocking snaps.
He's the forgotten man at OT and probably shouldn't be.#Bears
Meanwhile, Jones allowed two pressures and a sack in 24 snaps, and Trapilo only gave up one pressure in 26 pass-blocking snaps (37 total snaps played). There's a lot of pressure on Jones, who is the veteran and entering the last year of his rookie deal.
Jones and Trapilo seem to be the front-runners for the starting job, but Bears fans should keep an eye on Benedet, who has clearly made a good impression with the coaching staff.
Before the preseason opener, Benedet was listed as a third-string right tackle on the initial depth chart. But with Kiran Amegadije also working at left tackle with the third-team on Wednesday, per Biggs, the arrow could be trending in the right direction for the Canadian lineman.