The Chicago Bears left tackle competition has taken an unexpected twist this summer, and it’s putting two very different career arcs on a collision course.
Theo Benedet, a former Canadian college standout who spent 2024 on the practice squad, took first-team reps at left tackle during the team’s August 13 practice. Benedet’s surge could come at the expense—or at least bring about the demotion—of second-year tackle Kiran Amegadjie.
A third-round pick in 2024, Amegadjie entered camp as a presumed key backup with starter potential. Unfortunately, he hasn’t seemed to make much of a mark.
“Theo Benedet has entered the Bears’ competition at left tackle,” CHGO Sports’ Adam Jahns wrote on X after seeing the change. “He rotated with the 1s today with Braxton Jones.”
“Kiran now seemingly clearly behind Theo Benedet on the depth chart,” Windy City Gridiron’s Johnathan Wood noted. “If that doesn’t change, Kiran will not make the roster.”
A Closer Look at Bears OL Theo Benedet
GettyBears undrafted rookie offensive tackle Theo Benedet.
Benedet’s path to the Bears has been unconventional, to say the least. A two-time J.P. Metras Trophy winner at UBC (an award that’s given to Canada’s top down lineman), he became the first offensive lineman in U SPORTS history to win the award twice. He drew attention at the Shrine Bowl before signing with the Bears as an undrafted free agent.
Chicago added Benedet immediately after the 2024 draft. He spent last season on the practice squad and signed a reserve/futures deal heading into 2025. At 6-foot-7 and 305 pounds, he has good size, and he played relatively well in the team’s first preseason game against the Dolphins.
“Benedet probably caught the attention of coaches with his play in the Miami game,” Gene Chamberlain of Sports Illustrated noted. “Pro Football Focus gave him the highest grade of all Bears offensive linemen for the game (66.5) and third-best grade for pass blocking (81.4).”
“There’s a lot of things to really like about Theo,” Bears offensive line coach Dan Roushar said, via Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic. “He’s had probably as much improvement as any player we have in the group. With that, there’s a lot of things for him to improve on and he knows that and we’ve got to work on it. He is working his tail off. He has put himself in a position to go compete for a job somewhere in this group.”
The Bears Won’t Cut Kiran Amegadjie …Will They?
Benedet’s emergence could absolutely upend Amegadjie’s trajectory. It’s early, but if Benedet continues to play well, it could force Amegadjie into a third-string swing-tackle role. For a former third-round pick, that’s far from ideal.
Wood suggesting Amegadjie won’t make the roster if he stays behind Benedet on the depth chart seems a tad drastic, though. He’s just entering Year 2, and the Bears didn’t see much of him last year.
Amegadjie spent much of his 2024 offseason rehabbing a quad injury he sustained in college at Yale. He opened his rookie camp on NFI, and worked his way back. He wound up playing in six games and was on the field for 125 snaps on offense as a rookie last year.
This season, Amegadjie has been hindered by a leg issue suffered in late July. He has since returned to team drills, but after Benedet has forced his way into the conversation, it will be a steeper hill for Amegadjie to climb.
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