As the left tackle competition with the Chicago Bears heats up between Braxton Jones, Theo Benedet, Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills, the Bears got some promising news about their starting left tackle from last season, Ozzy Trapilo.
Jones started last season as Chicago’s left tackle before Trapilo eventually became the starter, replacing Benedet. In the Bears’ playoff win against the Green Bay Packers, Trapilo tore his patellar tendon that was expected to sideline him for most of the 2026 season. But, that timeline has changed drastically when he was activated off the physically unable to perform list and back at practice. Quarterback Caleb Williams sounded off on Trapilo' to be back in practice and 's return and his quick recovery.
"Excited.
Obviously, he played a lot for us last year being the left tackle for me, and so I’m excited for him, especially being able to recover, so fast with a pretty bad injury," Williams said. "So I’m excited for him, excited for us, and excited for him to get back on the field whenever that happens, whenever he’s healthy and ready."
In Chicago’s first preseason game, Amegadjie got most of the reps at left tackle. Jones did not play in the game at all while Wills some limited snaps. Those snaps did not help his case for the starting job while Amegadjie had a solid day. In the Bears' second preseason outing, it was Jones getting the start with Benedet and Amegadjie seeing action later.
It's unlikely that Trapilo will be ready for the season opener, so the left tackle competition is still important to determine who will start the season. However, whoever wins this job will probably play less time given Trapilo’s progress in his recovery.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Caleb Williams reacts to Bears LT Ozzy Trapilo's return to practice
