The Chicago Bears have pretty much nailed down every position ahead of opening night against Minnesota. There is no confusion about who the starters will be at wide receiver, running back, quarterback, and tight end. Even four of the five offensive line spots are settled. Yet head coach Ben Johnson still hasn’t decided on the left tackle spot. He’s been strangely stubborn about it for weeks. For a time, it looked like Braxton Jones and Ozzy Trapilo were the two favorites to claim. Then Trapilo was shifted back to right tackle and Theo Benedet entered the race.
As things stand, most believe Jones holds the job after getting most of the first-team snaps in practice and the preseason finale. However, Johnson refused to confirm that idea when asked about it.
“We feel good about the guys we have in that room. Somebody is going to take the bull by the horns and take over. But we’re not afraid to make a change if the performance isn’t where it needs to be. We’ll make that decision going into next week. I’m sure you guys will have a good idea of who our starters will be going into Minnesota. Mentally, I’m not there yet.”
While this may frustrate fans, it’s worth noting the kind of message this sends. Johnson has said since arriving in Chicago that he has a certain standard for player performance. If you don’t measure up to it, he feels zero obligation to let you keep playing. What Johnson has seen from the left tackle over the last month hasn’t met that standard, and he won’t reward anybody for something he feels they didn’t truly earn.
Ben Johnson is also sending a message to management.
Left tackle is the second-most important position in football behind the quarterback. It isn’t a coincidence that three of the last four Super Bowl champions had a Pro Bowler at that spot. Ben Johnson knows a big part of his success in Detroit was because he had Taylor Decker anchoring the left side. It was the same in Miami with Laremy Tunsil. You need a good left tackle if you want to score points and win games. The Bears haven’t had one in years. Jones has been decent but inconsistent. Charles Leno Jr. was as close as they’ve had to good in the past two decades. Ben Johnson will make it work with what he has. That said, it sounds like he’s making it clear to GM Ryan Poles and everybody else that nobody should feel comfortable with the status quo.
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