One of the Bears most improved players from last season has been giving himself an even better chance to shine at training camp
Chicago Bears offensive lineman Theo Benedet will be one of the key players to watch in the training camp battle for the starting left tackle position and has done everything he can to take that next step as a player this offseason.
Offensive lineman Theo Benedet likely isn’t the first name many fans would think of when asked to name one of the Chicago Bears most improved players from the 2025-26 season, but he absolutely deserves to be in that conversation.
When Benedet joined the Bears in 2024 as an undrafted free agent, few could have expected much out of the overlooked player from the University of British Columbia. The Bears saw something in him to take a chance, but he never got a real chance to prove it until last season.
Under head coach Ben Johnson and the new coaching staff, Benedet was given a serious look for the left tackle job in training camp and it came as a surprise to many. Flashforward to the regular season, Benedet ended up starting eight games between both tackle positions and appeared in 16 games.
He impressed the coaching staff enough to earn those opportunities, even though he eventually lost his spot in the starting lineup. Now heading into Year 2 under this staff, Benedet is feeling much more confident as a player.
“It’s crazy compared to last year,” Benedet said on the Bears Etc. podcast. “I think it allows you to be a lot more detailed in terms of I’m not just trying to memorize everything and not forget stuff and actually know. Now I know where I’m going. That’s easy, that’s automatic. Now I can focus on the little stuff that make you successful.”
Theo Benedet breaks down is offseason training with Terron Armstead
Throughout the offseason program, Benedet was cross-training at both tackle positions and continues to position himself in a strong spot. During the offseason break, he joined a few other Bears offensive lineman who went down to train with former five-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Terron Armstead, which proved to be a beneficial experience.
“It’s been huge because I think that can be the challenge. When you’re with your OL coach in season and the offseason program, and then you go train somewhere, that trainer may not speak the same language as your offensive line coach,” Benedet explained. “It can be tough to have that translate, but that’s the advantage of Terron is he played under Dan (Roushar), so he knows what Dan wants and he knows how Dan talks. It’s easy to communicate.”
Armstead had plenty of high praise for the Bears tackles that came down to train with him over the summer, but it’s great to hear from the players as well explaining some of the things they were able to take away from their training with him.
“Terron can also take it a level beyond in terms of being very position specific at left tackle,” Benedet added. “He was a very creative player with his sets and I think his approach of different rush alignments was very helpful to me.”
Upcoming battle for the starting left tackle job
Training camp is coming up in just a few days and one of the biggest battles to watch is at the left tackle spot. Benedet will have his name in the mix for the second year in a row alongside Braxton Jones, Kiran Amegadjie, and Jedrick Wills Jr. to see which player will be able to impress the most on the blindside.
“It’s pro football, there’s a lot of good players in the NFL,” Benedet said. “You’re never going to take your job for granted and we’re all making each other better I think, which is the good thing. You have to have a little bit of a long-term view for your career too in terms of that helping you. Just excited for camp.”
Jones looked like the leader in that race heading into the summer break based on what we learned from the offseason program. However, that job is far from decided and Armstead had a great parting message for overlooked guys like Benedet and Amegadjie ahead of training camp entering this specific battle.
âTheyâre not looking to be backups, and thatâs important to me,â Armstead explained. âYou canât be in the NFL and see yourself as that, as a backup or as a swing. Because a team will see you like that, the league will see you like that, and you wonât be here long. Youâre an injury away.â
Benedet proved to be an athletic option as a run blocker but left a lot to be desired in pass protection last season. Even if he doesn’t win the left tackle job, the swing tackle spot will be his role to lose in the coming weeks. All eyes will be on him when camp opens as he looks to showcase the strides he made heading into his third season.