LAKE FOREST, Ill., — The Chicago Bears' left tackle competition will be in the spotlight again this offseason as the team has a big need there due to Ozzy Trapilo's injury. Chicago brought back Braxton Jones and also added former first-round pick Jedrick Wills Jr. to the mix. Those two will compete with Theo Benedet for the starting spot as Chicago looks to lock it down.
But for Wills Jr., he is coming off a serious knee injury that sidelined him all of the 2025 season. In his first media session with the Bears, Wills Jr. broke down the injury that he suffered in 2023 with his knee and then a season-ending MCL injury in 2024.
"I injured a couple of ligaments, but usually when people like when they get fell on or something in their knee, they mess up all their ligaments and people can just go in and repair it and they get healthy," Wills Jr. said. "I had minimal damage to my ligaments. It was more of an alignment issue from where I got fell on."
He explained that they had to do a femoral osteotomy to realign his femur with his hip. So it's a little bit of a different knee injury that he suffered. That's why he was out for the 2025 season.
"So they had to actually – it wasn't my knee, they had to go into my femur and do what was called an osteotomy to kind of correct my alignment," Wills Jr. said. "So my knee is healthy. It was a matter of just letting that heal and letting my knee get healthy, and yeah. So it took a little bit longer than just the regular injury, but it's doing better now."
In the past year, Wills Jr. spent his time rehabbing while also enjoying some time with family.
"A lot of rehab, a lot of personal training, a lot of training, family time, a little bit of travel," Willis Jr. said. "Mainly just been trying to get right and get healthy."
Right now, Wills Jr. says he's ready to go when the Bears hit the practice field and ready to compete for the starting left tackle job.
"I feel like the last year I had off truly gave me the time I needed to get healthy," Wills Jr. I feel way better in this position now than I was a year ago. Yeah, just excited to be a Bear and what this team can do this year. I've seen some great things over the past season. Just excited to bring my talents here and be an addition."
Not a VIP subscriber to the Bear Report? Sign up now to get access to everything publisher Zack Pearson and the entire Bear Report team have to offer on all things Chicago Bears and access to the No. 1 site covering the team!