Bears expected to make a change to the starting offense during the bye week and it’s one everyone saw coming after Week 4
The starting OL will look different in Week 6.
Now that the bye week is officially here, the Chicago Bears and head coach Ben Johnson have plenty of time to step back and review how the first four weeks of the season have gone, and what potential changes need to be made before the next game on October 13th.
One of the biggest question marks on the team is what will happen on the offensive line at the two starting tackle positions.
In Week 4, the Bears were without starting right tackle Darnell Wright and started Theo Benedet in his place. Late in the second quarter, left tackle Braxton Jones was removed from the lineup with Bendet taking his place and rookie tackle Ozzy Trapilo taking over on the right side.
The young tackle duo proved to be the spark the offense needed to secure a win in the second-half and raised a lot of questions going into the bye week. And it seems like one decision has been made.
Bears expected to bench Braxton Jones at left tackle after the bye week
According to Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune, the Bears are not expected to start Jones at left tackle when the team comes out of the bye and faces the Washington Commanders in Week 6. Biggs added the situation is still “fluid” but Benedet is the likely replacement on the left side.
“It’s too early for me to tell,” head coach Ben Johnson said of the tackle situation on Monday. “We’ve got to go through this process and figure out what’s best for us and our team going forward. I’ve got a lot of faith in the guys in that room. We’ve got some talented individuals, and I really believe in the coaching staff in that room, as well, that we’re only scratching the surface of what we’re capable of.”
Scratching the surface perfectly explains why the Bears are making this move now and likely going with Benedet at left tackle moving forward. The 2024 undrafted free agent has continued to impress the coaching staff throughout the entire year and his performance in Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders in his first career start showed some promising signs.
“He is a really good run blocker, first and foremost,” Johnson said of Benedet. “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. He’s equally proficient in either one. He’s just had such a good spring and summer for us that I’ve got a lot of confidence.”
Johnson added that Benedet has some things to clean up in pass protection based on Sunday’s tape and times when he got a little too “top-heavy” when engaging with defenders.
“I really think he’s going to continue to learn,” Johnson added. “The more reps he gets, the better he’s going to get.”
Even going into the season, the left tackle position was going to be closely monitored. It was a late call to name Jones the starter and Johnson made it known the fourth-year player would have a short leash on the starting position based on his ability to play consistently.
In pass protection, Jones has held up well coming off a fractured fibula suffered late last season. In Week 3, Jones allowed zero pressures in pass protection but his play in the run game factored into the equation as well. Among all tackles with 50+ run blocking snaps, Jones’ 47.2 run blocking grade ranks 58 out of 62 tackles.
It’s no surprise that Jones’ final play at left tackle in Week 4 came on a -2-yard run by D’Andre Swift on third-and-19. A play in which the offensive line had some miscommunication, allowing Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce to enter the backfield unblocked and get a tackle for a loss.
While the decision has yet to officially be announced, it’s clear this is something to expect the coaches to make official ahead of the Week 6 matchup. The question now becomes, how long can Benedet hold on to the starting position and continue impressing his coaches?
As for the right tackle position, Ozzy Trapilo seems like the obvious choice to take over the swing tackle role and potentially start at right tackle if Wright’s elbow injury continues to linger following the extended break.
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Great time to reassess some things.
