Injury news usually is bad, but the Bears had a surprisingly optimistic update on left tackle Ozzy Trapilo on Tuesday.
Trapilo ruptured the patellar tendon in his knee during the playoffs, and the Bears prepared for the possibility he’d miss the entire upcoming season. However, Trapilo has been ahead of schedule in his recovery, and coach Ben Johnson said Tuesday it’s possible he’ll be able to practice before the season starts.
“We’ll see how things go, but he’s doing a good job working right now,” Johnson said. “He’s been attacking this thing head on. He’s been here pretty much all summer. I’ve gotten to see him every single day, and he’s doing a great job with the rehab process.
“There’s still a lot of things that he’s got to hit in terms of making himself available for practice, but he’s done a really nice job with the rehab.”
Trapilo was a second-round pick last year and took over the starting job in Week 12 against the Steelers. He held it until suffering the knee injury in the playoff win over the Packers.
While the Bears didn’t use a high draft pick or spend big in free agency to replace him, they did move forward with Braxton Jones as the presumptive left tackle. Jones has been leading the competition over Jedrick Wills, Theo Benedet and Kiran Amegadjie.
Jones has been out with a minor injury, but is expected back on the field soon, and Johnson said the team could decide on a left tackle when the coaching staff meets Wednesday.
