Over the last few years, not many teams have had the offensive line turnover that the Chicago Bears have had. The Bears have been investing significant resources in the draft and free agency to find their long-term frontline, and they hope that this offseason will finally solve their issues. Even though they added Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, and Jonah Jackson on the interior, the Bears' question marks on the outside remain.
In fact, the left tackle is one of the few starting jobs still up for grabs in Chicago. General manager Ryan Poles revealed on Thursday that the competition for the role will not be determined for another week or two.
"You'd hope that it starts to clear itself up here, I would say, over the next week or two."#DaBears GM Ryan Poles discussed the left tackle competition on @mullyhaugh this morning as Theo Benedet has entered the mix 🔊 pic.twitter.com/MTwLCmS59u
— Bears on CHSN (@CHSN_Bears) August 14, 2025
Key Bears Position Is Still Up for Grabs
In his Thursday appearance on 670 The Score, Poles said that they are "looking for someone to take that position" and "go out there, play free, and get after it." This comes on the heels of the Bears' giving second-year player Theo Benedet first-team reps at left tackle on Wednesday. Benedet getting into the mix at this point of the camp suggests that the coaching staff is still looking for answers.
Throughout the summer, the frontrunners for the job were Braxton Jones and Ozzy Trapilo. Jones was solid at left tackle once again last season, but had to undergo season-ending ankle surgery. It was the second straight season that the talented offensive lineman had to miss at least five games. He has been limited throughout the camp but played and struggled in Chicago's first preseason game.
Trapilo, on the other hand, was one of Chicago's second-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. He has played extensive snaps at both left and right tackle in college and was considered to have a path to start for the Bears as a rookie.
Second-year player Kiran Amegadjie was considered to have a chance to earn the blindside protector role as well, but he has recently been moved to right tackle. This leaves the left tackle competition to the trio of Jones, Trapilo, and Benedet.
Considering that Trapilo has also been getting reps at the right tackle during camp, Jones is the presumptive starter for Week 1. Trapilo will likely begin the season as the swing tackle, but there is still plenty of time for things to change. The Bears take on the Bills on Sunday, followed by a visit to Kansas City for their ultimate preseason game. It sounds like Jones can easily lose his starting job despite having the inside track for now.