The Chicago Bears have seen multiple players leave this offseason during free agency. At the same time, they've made some additions. The Bears re-signed Braxton Jones, but they also signed Jedrick Wills Jr.
Ozzy Trapilo suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in his knee in the playoffs, putting his 2026 status up in the air. That led the Bears to make two additions in the tackle room, but also showed how they feel about Kiran Amegadjie. And it isn't a good sign for Amegadjie entering a pivotal third year.
Kiran Amegadjie’s Offseason Is Off to a Bad Foot with the Bears
Amegadjie was drafted in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft, with the expectation that he would develop into a starting-caliber tackle. But things have gone in the complete opposite direction. As a rookie in 2024, he appeared in just six games, making one start. Although it was a small sample size, he didn't put out the best tape.
According to Pro Football Focus, he had a 40.3 overall grade, 39.4 pass-blocking grade, and a 54.6 run-blocking grade. In addition to those less-than-spectacular advanced stats, Amegadjie committed five penalties and gave up eight pressures. Fast forward to last offseason, and Amegadjie's arrow continued to point down. At the beginning of the summer, he was in the left tackle competition, but that fizzled out. Chicago moved him over to right tackle, but it didn't get better there.
He missed his first preseason game due to a leg injury before returning, but was with the third team in those outings. And he didn't impress in those games. On PFF, Amegadjie had a 61.6 overall grade, 59.2 pass-blocking grade, and a 60.2 run-blocking grade in 56 offensive snaps.
Putting these numbers against third-stringers is less than ideal, to say the least. Chicago plans to roll with Theo Benedet, Wills Jr., or Jones at left tackle. Meanwhile, Darnell Wright is the lock at right tackle.
Whoever doesn't win the left tackle battle will be the top swing tackle, with the other player likely being the backup at right tackle. That makes you think, where does Amegadjie fit in? He clearly didn't mesh well with Ben Johnson and the new offensive staff, and the decision to bring in two other tackles shows how they think of the Yale product.
General manager Ryan Poles used a third-round pick on Amegadjie in 2024, but their countless moves at tackle don't benefit the 24-year-old. He needs to bring his best foot forward in the spring and summer if he wants to make the team in 2026. Chicago clearly doesn't like what they've seen from him through two seasons, and their additions put another hurdle in front of the lineman.