Chicago Bears General Manager poured some gas on the Ozzy Trapilo fire when he noted that the tackle could return from his patellar injury as soon as training camp. However, head coach Ben Johnson fanned down some of those flames in his recent press conference when he was asked about those comments.
Ben Johnson Brings Ozzy Trapilo Hype Back Down After Chicago Bears GM Comments
Johnson noted that Trapilo has done nothing but hit every mark they wanted him to hit. He made it clear that he is pleased with Trapilo and that he has seen him working on his rehab nearly every single day. However, he also made it clear that there were still plenty of hurdles for him to clear before he was game-ready.
“Hes doing a great job with the rehab process,” said Johnson. “But, like i said there is still a lot things that he’s got to hit in terms of making himself available for practice.”
This is where it is clear to distinguish exactly what Poles was saying. Poles said that if Trapilo could come back in time for the end of training camp, it would help his availability to play because of the level of practice being more intense early in the season.
Poles noted that if Trapilo did return later in the season it would be harder for him to get on the field due to the nature of the practice. So, while Poles was more optimistic than Johnson, they are not quite contradicting each other.
Both said it is possible for Trapilo to return sooner than expected. Poles said if he did, he could get back in the lineup sooner. Johnson said it is not worth discussing because he still has to clear certain hurdles to get back on the field. The big difference is that Poles entertained a hypothetical and Johnson did not.
So, until we see otherwise, it is fair to assume that Trapilo could miss the majority, if not all of this season. That is why the team is continuing to work in all three tackles into their competition.
Braxton Jones had started with the first-team, but has mixed in with Jedrick Wills in the first week. Then, Kiran Amegadjie has started to get more involved as well. Theo Benedet has taken some reps there, but he is more focused on right tackle right now.
Still, these options are more likely than Trapilo, despite his noteworthy progress.
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