Just when it seemed that the Chicago Bears had found an answer to their prayers, stud rookie offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo suffered a season-ending injury. He suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in his knee in the Wild-Card win over the Green Bay Packers, which was a huge blow to the Bears' offensive line.
Trapilo went under the knife in January, and his availability for the start of the upcoming season is up in the air. A to Z Sports' Kole Noble and Charles Goldman reported last month that "patellar tendon injuries can take 6-12 months to properly rehab," meaning Trapilo could be sidelined for the entire campaign.
And it seems like the Bears are preparing for a future where Trapilo might not be ready for Week 1. On Thursday, insider Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reported that Theo Benedet has been signed to a one-year contract for the 2026 season.
Bears Seemingly Preparing for a Season Without Ozzy Trapilo
The fact that the Bears wasted no time re-signing Benedet could suggest that they don't expect Trapilo to be ready for next season. General manager Ryan Poles could've taken his time to work out a deal, but instead signed the young blocker to a quick 'prove-yourself' contract to make his offseason planning a bit easier.
The fact that the Bears want to keep Benedet, who's admittedly pretty average as a blind-side protector, hints at Trapilo being a ways away from returning.
Benedet lost his starting job to Trapilo in Week 12 because of an injury. The rookie out of Boston College was a natural at left tackle, logging a 71.5 Pro Football Focus pass-block grade. Per PFF's premium stats, he gave up just two sacks and 15 pressures in 283 pass-blocking snaps. In eight games as a starter, Benedet gave up as many sacks and 26 pressures in 333 pass-blocking snaps.
Again, nothing about that performance screams that a return was guaranteed. But if Chicago already knows Trapilo's recovery will lean more to the longer side of things, taking another swing on Benedet suddenly makes a lot more sense.
The Bears bent over backwards to fix their offensive line ahead of Caleb Williams' second year in the league, and it certainly worked wonders. Per Team Rankings, they went from giving up 4.0 sacks in 2024, the highest mark in the league, to a league-best 1.3 last season.
Williams is a master at extending plays, and his improved decision-making and better offensive scheming also played a big role in that. However, keeping him out of harm's way will continue to be this team's No. 1 priority going forward, which is why they can't afford to wait for Trapilo to be fully healthy, as there's a chance that he may never return to the player he once was.
In the meantime, time will tell if Benedet has what it takes to retake the Bears' starting LT job. If not, Chicago fans had better hope that the front office will have done enough to fill the depth chart with reliable backup options.
Otherwise, the Bears' offense could be in trouble next season.