Caleb Williams
Getty
Bears legend Olin Kreutz didn't hold back when discussing his former team's offensive line situation
The Chicago Bears entered their bye week in Week 5 with some momentum on their side. After suffering a pair of tough losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions in their first two contests, the Bears bounced back with big wins over the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders, giving them a 2-2 record.
Even with their two recent wins, it’s clear that Chicago is not perfect, and one area that has struggled is their offensive line, as quarterback Caleb Williams is still facing a lot of pressure under center. That’s something that has not gone unnoticed by former Bears’ All-Pro offensive lineman Olin Kreutz, and he kept it real when discussing the state of the team’s o-line.
Olin Kreutz Identifies the Real Problem with the Bears Offensive Line
Over the offseason, Chicago made changes from top to bottom in an effort to improve in 2025. The flashiest move of the bunch saw them hire former Lions‘ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to be their new head coach, but in terms of the actual roster, the front office was hard at work attempting to upgrade the offensive line.
The Bears pulled off a pair of big trades for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, before signing center Drew Dalman to a $42 million contract in free agency. With Darnell Wright holding down the fort at right tackle, that left the left tackle spot at the team’s biggest weakness on the o-line, which is where 2024 undrafted free agent Theo Benedet has been filling in to start the season.
While Benedet has struggled, he hasn’t been the only guy getting beaten on a consistent basis for Chicago. In fact, their star-studded interior trio of Thuney, Dalman, and Jackson has been just as bad in many instances. In Kreutz’s eyes, he believes the struggles along the interior of the Bears’ o-line are more concerning, largely because the struggles from Benedet were to be expected.
“We knew coming into the year that this tackle spot was gonna be a problem,” Kreutz said on “The Spiegel & Holmes Show.” “I told you guys from the beginning, if they start panicking and going after that left tackle spot, I’m gonna get a little worried because that’s not the problem … The problem is that … the one sack they give up, they get beat by inside pressure on their inside three. That’s where all the money is.”
Bears Looking to Keep Up Positive Momentum in Week 6
Ben Johnson
GettyHead coach Ben Johnson of the Chicago Bears.
Considering how many new faces Chicago has along its offensive line, it’s obviously going to take time for this group to gel. Having some downtime during the bye week should help, and getting Wright back on the field after he missed the team’s win over the Raiders with an elbow injury would also be a big win.
When the Bears return to action, they will draw a tough Monday Night Football matchup against the Washington Commanders. While the Commanders are dealing with a couple of notable injuries, they didn’t look any worse for wear when they took down the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 5. Kickoff for this game is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET, and all eyes will be on Chicago’s o-line to see how they perform against a tough Washington front seven.