The Chicago Bears hosted the Buffalo Bills for a joint practice on Friday. Before the session, Bears head coach Ben Johnson spoke with the media and was asked about the left tackle competition. He said the situation is still unclear and hopes to get clarity over the next few weeks. Johnson added that the decision could go down to the wire, as no player has separated himself so far.
The four-man race currently includes Braxton Jones, Ozzy Trapilo, Kiran Amegadjie, and Theo Benedet. Benedet was added as a dark horse, with Johnson noting that people may be overlooking him. He received some first-team reps at left tackle during the practice, but overall, none of the candidates performed particularly well against the Bills.
This is a significant concern, as the Bears are only weeks away from Monday Night Football against the Vikings, who feature a very strong defense. While the team revamped its offensive line this offseason—creating what looks like a top-10 unit on paper—this recent development raises red flags. The coaching staff openly admitting that no one has distinguished themselves highlights the urgency for a resolution. The offense has struggled with false starts, so it’s important to get the first-team offensive line locked in and clean up pre-snap penalties.
Sunday night’s preseason game will give them a chance to get some real-game snaps together, but it’s still unclear who will start at left tackle against the Bills.
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