The Chicago Bears may be on a bye this weekend, but that doesn’t mean that head coach Ben Johnson and his entire staff haven’t used this week off to contemplate a decision that will have serious repercussions deep into the 2025 NFL season and beyond.
By now you know that the offensive line troubles that plagued the Bears throughout the 2024 season haven’t been completely resolved. Although the unit as a whole has been playing much better than last year — and for the record, that includes Caleb Williams, who has shown a much better pocket presence and internal clock this season than he did during his rookie year — there’s still one problem area that needs to be addressed.
Coming out of the halftime locker room in their Week 4 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, Ben Johnson chose to bench left tackle Braxton Jones to begin the 2nd half. As a result, Theo Benedet, who had gotten the start at right tackle for injured starter Darnell Wright, was moved to the left side of the line, and 2nd round rookie Ozzy Trapilo was inserted on the right side of the line. According to Johnson, it was a move designed to provide the Bears offense with ‘a spark.’
Evidently, the move worked, because the Bears were able to overcome a halftime deficit and depart Las Vegas with a 25-24 victory. Accordingly, this raises an important question that Ben Johnson will need to provide an answer for by next Monday when the Bears face the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football… who will be starting at the two tackle spots?
Will Darnell Wright move over to left tackle in order to keep Caleb Williams’ blindside protected? Is Braxton Jones out of the picture altogether? Who has the inside track if Jones is a goner, Trapilo or Benedet?
Longtime Bears reporter Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune may have the inside scoop:
“Instinct tells me Benedet, who played left tackle when Jones was removed from the game against the Raiders in the second quarter, will get the next shot at the job,” Biggs wrote in a Q&A column.
According to Pro Football Focus, neither Theo Benedet or Ozzy Trapilo were significantly better in Chicago’s Week 4 win than Braxton Jones was. In fact, Benedet (38.7 grade), Jones (41.3) and Trapilo (47.9) were all among Chicago’s lowest-graded players last weekend.
Will the Bears Entertain the Idea of Moving Darnell Wright to Left Tackle?
By the numbers, the best possible move the Bears could make is moving Darnell Wright to the left side of the line while inserting Ozzy Trapilo in at right tackle. In reality, this is probably what we’re heading toward to begin the 2026 season.
But making that move right now, in the middle of the season, is a risky proposition, especially with Wright coming off of an injury.
“Asking (Wright) to switch sides in the middle of the season and coming off an injury probably isn’t Plan A at Halas Hall,” Biggs wrote. “Could Wright be a consideration before the end of the season? Anything is possible, but if the Bears really liked this option, they probably would have been more proactive in the offseason when four other players got a shot on the left side. If Benedet falters, the Bears might try Trapilo again at left tackle before switching Wright.
No matter how you look at it, it’s looking like Braxton Jones’ days as a starter in Chicago are in the past, which shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. Jones had to work himself back from a serious knee injury that cut his season sort last year. It was widely expected that the fourth-year starter would play out the final year of his contract and then depart the Windy City in free agency next spring.
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