Bears officially have one left tackle option back in the fold for the 2026 offseason with Ozzy Trapilo out for the foreseeable future
The Chicago Bears made the expected decision to bring back OT Theo Benedet.
The Chicago Bears were hoping that the long-term left tackle situation finally had an answer after throwing second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo into the fire and watching him flourish against elite competition late in the regular season.
However, Trapilo suffered a patellar tendon injury during the team’s wild card win over the Green Bay Packers, an injury that comes with a lengthy recovery window that is expected to extend well into the 2026 regular season.
It’s an unfortunate situation for Trapilo, and for the Bears, who now need to have another left tackle competition going into the start of the season. And the first horse has entered the track.
Bears officially bring Theo Benedet back on a one-year deal
This was an obvious offseason decision for the Bears to make. Benedet was set to be an Exclusive Rights Free Agent after the 2025-26 season and the Bears instead will be bringing him back on a one-year, $1 million deal for the 2026 season.
Benedet started eight games for the Bears, including seven games at left tackle. He was a late addition to last offseason’s left tackle competition and proved to be a valuable option for the offense at both tackle positions.
“(Benedet) is a really good run blocker first and foremost,” Johnson said in October. “I think it probably took him just a minute to settle in. It didn’t matter which side it was going to be on — right or left. I think he’s equally proficient at either one. He’s just had such a good spring and summer for us that I’ve got a lot of confidence there.”
The team really valued his athleticism in the run game but he struggled at times in pass protection, allowing two sacks and 26 pressures on 334 pass blocking snaps.
After making six consecutive starts at left tackle, Benedet suffered a quadriceps injury that opened the door for Trapilo to take the reigns as the blindside protector for quarterback Caleb Williams. When Trapilo went down in the playoffs, the team turned to All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney to take over at left tackle in the division round, citing the matchup against Jared Verse as the reason, not an indictment that the team soured on Benedet by any means.
With Benedet back in the fold going into the offseason, the Bears will have three healthy tackles under contract in Benedet, Kiran Amegadjie, and starting right tackle Darnell Wright. Even after signing Benedet back, it’s highly likely the Bears explore another addition to elevate the competition for the left tackle competition until Trapilo comes back.
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