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CHICAGO, Ill., — The biggest position battle on the offensive side of the football for the Chicago Bears still hasn't been solved. After a few weeks of training camp and two preseason games, the battle at left tackle is ongoing as no player has been able to separate themselves.
On Saturday night, multiple players got a shot at left tackle, with Braxton Jones getting the first reps followed by Theo Benedet. But the performance of both left much to be desired, as it was ugly from the start. Neither Jones nor Benedet played particularly well in the loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Going against reserves, Jones struggled in his few series out there including committing a holding penalty on the opening drive that pushed them back to force a 1st and 20. Three incompletions later, the Bears settled for a field goal. On a later drive, Jones struggled in pass protection with Case Keenum at quarterback. It's one thing to struggle with pass protection, but to do so against reserves makes it even tougher.
Jones finished the game with a pass-blocking grade of 29.6 by Pro Football Focus. Benedet wasn't much better in the game, playing in over 20 snaps at left, and he earned a grade of 50.4 in pass-blocking. His grade was bumped up just a bit due to him playing at right tackle as well.
Chicago had a little shift in the competition last week as well. Ben Johnson told the media that Jones and Benedet would be the two guys getting the reps at left tackle with the first and second teams in practice. After Jedrick Wills and Kiran Amegadjie played against the Cleveland Browns, neither did enough to instil any confidence that they can handle the position just yet.
Wills and Amegadjie both committed penalties against the Bengals as it was unfortunately a common theme for the Bears.
"They really hurt us in the first half, and we weren't able to get those cleaned up there in the second half," Johnson said of the penalties after the game. "When you add in the red zone, the fact that we were able to move the ball at times OK, but we couldn't end up with touchdowns, those are major killers when you're facing a good team like that."
The competition right now appears to still be Jones and Benedet, but there could be another name back soon who could make things interesting.
Will Ozzy Trapilo be ready?
The biggest news last week was the return of Ozzy Trapilo, who was activated off the PUP list just seven months after suffering a ruptured patellar tendon in his left knee. Trapilo was expected to miss at least the first half of the season and maybe more. But now that he's back, the Bears are hoping he will be ready to go soon enough.
With three weeks until the regular season starts, it might be too soon to expect Trapilo to be ready. He hasn't had live reps since last January, and even though he's off the PUP list, he has yet to do any team work in practices this past week. That's the first step in getting back and from there, it's consistency.
Chicago has Trapilo on a plan that they feel can get him more confidence to go out there and be ready to play again.
"The best thing for him, ramping him up. You know, obviously physically we feel really good about where he's at or else we wouldn't have brought him off PUP," Johnson said. "Now, it's a race to see how quickly we can rebuild the confidence. So, it's gonna look different for him than it is for anybody else just in terms of how we continue to integrate him into drills, team drills, things like that."
Although Johnson wouldn't give a yes when asked if Trapilo is part of the left tackle competition now, ideally he is ready to go for Week 1. That would boost some confidence at the position when the games matter. Because right now, this competition continues to look bleak.
This article originates on BearReport.
Report: Cleveland Browns Todd Monken to Name Deshaun Watson the Starting Quarterback
The long awaited quarterback decision has been made.
BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns were expected to name the Browns starting quarterback on Monday and per usual, national NFL outlets were the first to report the move. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN and multiple reports, Browns coach Todd Monken is set to announce that Deshaun Watson will be the team's starting quarterback when the Browns take on the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 13.
Just in: Deshaun Watson has been named Cleveland’s starting quarterback for week 1 at Jacksonville. pic.twitter.com/34BNUahkXs
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 24, 2026
The Browns have held an open competition between Watsonn and Shedeur Sanders since the OTAs began in the offseason program Monken said that his decision is about who will give the Browns the best chance to beat the Jaguars in Week One.
"I think even with (the Bills game), we have to take in the full body of work," Monken said. "That's just one opportunity that they had on the field, both of them, just like the week before was an opportunity, just like the practices against the Bills were an opportunity to showcase their ability and other's ability and where they're at at this point and where we're at as an offense. So, I don't look at it that way. I look at what has been the full body of work, and then ultimately, who gives us the best chance to win week one."
Monken said the quarterback that he chooses to start is who he thinks will give the Browns the best chance to win to start the season.
"Our job is to put the best product and the best players on the field that we feel like give us the best chance to move the football, score points, and win games," he said. "So ultimately, that's what I look at, irrespective of outside noise. I don't worry about that."
Sanders started and played the first half in the loss to the Bills and was 9-of-11 for 74 yards with a touchdown and an interception. His QB rating was 87.1. Watson played the third quarter and into the fourth quarter. Watson was just 5-of-12 for 36 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. His QB rating was 14.6.
Watson was booed on several occasions in his first home game since rupturing his right Achilles tendon in October 2024, an injury for which he underwent two surgeries and missed all of the 2025 season. After the game, in the post game press conference Watson ripped Browns fans and brought up when he was injured almost two years ago.
"The whole world knows it has nothing to do about the performance," Watson said after the game. "It's a little bit (more) personal than that. So I think it's a disrespectful thing. So yeah, I mean, I'm going to keep whatever I feel with me and my family internally on how I feel about that. And yeah, just move on.
"Last time I played on this field, I tore my Achilles. And that same fanbase, they cheered when I got hurt," Watson also said. "So what does that have to do with anything about performance? When a person gets hurt, especially for your own city, and they cheer?"
Monken was asked on Sunday if Watson's comments would affect the decision at starting quarterback.
"It does not."
The Browns open the season with two road games in Florida, with the Jaguars and the Buccaneers. The Browns first home game is Week 3, on Sept. 27 against the Panthers. Monken said he is not worried about that game when asked about the reception Watson could get in the home opener.
"I'll go backwards then forwards," he said. "I'm not concerned about the first home game. I'm concerned about who will give us the best chance to win the first week. We'll get to that when we get to it. My reaction was, a young man who has worked awfully hard to get back to where he is now, and he wants to, in the worst way, to play winning football for the Browns organization and the fans.
"It didn't go as we had hoped or as he did, I'm sure," he said. "I think we have to be a little careful of judging someone right after he goes out to play, feeling like he's put in the work, and then to not perform as well as he wanted. We all want to be appreciated. He spoke from the heart, and I don't ever blame someone that speaks from the heart.
"If someone were to ask if I feel like he doesn't have confidence, I don't see that," he said. "Every day I see a young man who has confidence, and he wanted to perform in the worst way at a high level."
Monken has said that the starters will not play in the final preseason on Thursday night at Huntington Bank Field, so Watson will not be subject to playing before the home crowd until at least Sept. 27.
More to come after Monken speaks to the media around noon...
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