The Chicago Bears' offensive line was a talking point for most of last season. Caleb Williams was the most-sacked quarterback in the entire league last season (68), and they couldn't get much going on with the running game, either.
Trading for proven veterans like Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson was a step in the right direction. Then again, taking Ozzy Trapilo in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft may have been the most crucial move they made in that regard. Now, after watching him dominate in his offensive debut in Week 4, and with Braxton Jones reportedly getting benched, Trapilo is in contention to get all first-team reps once this team returns from its bye week.
Bears Must Start Rookie OT Ozzy Trapilo After Benching Braxton Jones
Trapilo wasn't active for the first three games of the season, a decision that turned some heads for the wrong reasons. He had to wait until Darnell Wright suffered an injury to be activated, and once it happened, it took just one half of play for the Bears to pull the plug on Jones.
Trapilo took the field at right tackle, with Theo Benedet to the right side of the offensive line. As a result? Las Vegas Raiders pass rush star Maxx Crosby didn't record another quarterback hit or tackle for loss, and he finished the game without a sack.
Also, Chicago's offense fared much better with Williams finally getting some protection. The former No. 1 pick added 114 passing yards in the second half after completing just 12 of 22 passes with one pick and one sack in the first half.
Trapilo's impact made it evident that he needed to start, making the decision to keep him inactive all the more difficult to explain. At least, head coach Ben Johnson acknowledged that he was trending in the right direction before that:
"We knew going into the game that Ozzy was likely to get some snaps for us," Johnson said after the game. "He's a guy that just keeps getting better each and every week. So we were just at the point where we weren't doing a whole lot on offense, and we felt like that might give us a little spark and ignite us a little bit on offense."
Even when Wright returns, there's no reason not to trust the young OT. And given how Jones has struggled this season, the Bears will be wise to run it back with the same tackles they had in the second half of the win over the Raiders when they face the Washington Commanders in Week 5.