The NFL world is in a frenzy as all 32 franchises race to trim their rosters down to 53 players before Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET cutdown deadline. The Chicago Bears didn't hesitate to kick a handful of players to the curb to help slim down head coach Ben Johnson's squad, with early cuts including quarterback Austin Reed, running back Ian Wheeler, and defensive back Tre Flowers.
With the roster getting closer to the 53-man limit, Bears fans have a better idea of what this year's lineup will look like. At least, in theory. The Chicago faithful still don't know what's going on with the team's starting left tackle position, which has been contested between Braxton Jones, Kiran Amegadjie, and Ozzy Trapilo throughout the summer.
Unfortunately, despite dealing with a slimmer roster, the Bears still won't reveal who their Week 1 starting LT will be.
Ben Johnson when asked who will be the starting LT for the Bears in Week 1:
— Bears on CHSN (@CHSN_Bears) August 26, 2025
"I'm not ready to talk about starters yet." 😬 pic.twitter.com/43SZgNLLvx
Bears HC Ben Johnson Still Refuses to Name Chicago's Starting LT
On Tuesday, HC Johnson was asked about the Bears' left tackle situation and who would be starting against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1. Much to the fan base's dismay, though, the 39-year-old bench boss refused to shed any more light on the LT1 job.
"I'm not ready to talk about starters yet," Johnson said. "I think we'll have a starter in Week 1 and we'll go from there... We feel good about the guys we have in that room. Someone's going to take the bull by the horns, and he's going to completely take over, but we're not afraid to make a change if the performance isn't where it needs to be. "
From the sound of things, Johnson will give each of Jones, Amegadjie, and Trapilo a shot at the No. 1 LT spot in the regular season before assessing from there. Each of the trio played 37-plus snaps on the offensive line this preseason, but evidently, that wasn't enough time for Chicago's coaching staff to form a conclusion.
Here's a look at how their preseason performances compare to one another, with some help from Pro Football Focus:
Player | Games Played | LT Snaps | Hurries Allowed | QB Hits Allowed | Sacks Allowed | PFF Pass Block | PFF Run Block |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Braxton Jones | 3 | 66 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 53.7 | 72.6 |
Kiran Amegadjie | 2 | 56 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 59.2 | 60.2 |
Ozzy Trapilo | 3 | 37 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 60.7 | 61.5 |
After looking at the above grades, it's clear that each Bears blocker brings something different to the table. Jones struggled in pass protection the most, but his help in the run game could've earned brownie points among Johnson's staff. Meanwhile, Amegadjie did the best job of the trio of limiting the pressure that his QBs face, but his performance wasn't much to write home about.
Meanwhile, Trapilo — the newest face of the three — had the best PFF pass block grade among the trio; however, he saw the least amount of action. The Bears might think he has the most potential of the bunch, but are willing to be more patient so they don't fumble his development.
Hopefully, the Bears figure out their LT1 situation sooner rather than later. A competent offensive line is key to succeeding in the NFL, as well as protecting QB Caleb Williams. Failing to do so could make Johnson's first year behind the bench bumpier than it has to be.