Even before training camp opens, the Chicago Bears’ left tackle picture already looks narrowed to one obvious answer.
Braxton Jones is the clear favorite, and with second-year pro Ozzy Trapilo likely to miss most of the 2026 season because of injury, the Bears had little choice but to bring back a couple of familiar pieces in free agency. That leaves Jones and Theo Benedet as the names most directly tied to the job.
Jones has the edge by a wide margin. He has started 44 games in the NFL, compared with Benedet’s eight, and he has already shown he can handle the role. That kind of track record matters, especially when the alternative is a player who entered the league as an undrafted free agent.
Still, this is where Benedet gets his shot.
After going unselected in the 2024 NFL Draft, Benedet became a fan favorite on HBO's Hard Knocks, where former head coach Matt Eberflus called him the "Canadian Eagle." He spent his rookie year on the practice squad, then made the roster in 2025 as a backup before quickly working his way into a bigger role. Benedet ended up starting eight games as a swing tackle.
His season hit a snag in November when a quad injury sent him back into reserve duty, and Trapilo took over at left tackle full-time. Then came the season-ending knee injury Trapilo suffered in the playoff win over the Packers, which opened the door to a fresh competition at the position.
For now, Jedrick Wills is not being treated as a real factor in the battle, which leaves Benedet with a narrow lane to make this interesting. Jones has had a strong offseason and appears to be back to his old self before the 2024 ankle injury, which only makes the climb steeper for Benedet.
But Benedet has shown enough flashes to keep this from being a total formality. His work in space, especially on outside zone runs, has looked strong at times.
And the numbers back up some of that promise: last season, he posted a Pro Football Focus grade above 60.0 in seven games where he played double-digit snaps. In four of those games, his pass blocking grade was above 70.0.
That’s why training camp matters so much here. Benedet is still developing, and he has had to learn on the fly while handling both tackle spots.
He has already beaten the odds once just to get here. If he puts together the best camp of his young career, he could turn what looks like a settled job into a real decision for the Bears.
In Other News...
Bears May Have Quietly Fixed A Position That Kept Burning Them
The Bears spent the offseason trying to quiet a problem spot that never seemed to stay solved, and the work started at safety. Chicago moved on from the old pairing and turned to a new look built around Coby Bryant, who arrived on a three-year deal and is already drawing the kind of buzz that suggests the front office believes it found an upgrade. Alongside him is rookie Dillon Thieneman, a younger bet with the kind of long-term upside the Bears have been missing back there.
What makes the change so notable is how much turnover it reflects. Kevin Byard came in on a short-term pact after an All-Pro season that some around the league viewed with skepticism, while Jaquan Briskers stint was derailed by injuries and uneven play. Now the Bears are asking Bryant to stabilize the present and Thieneman to grow into a bigger role, leaving one of the defenses most frustrating positions suddenly looking like it might finally have a plan. [Read more 🡒]
These 4 Bears Backups Could Decide How Far 2026 Goes
The Bears 2026 outlook may hinge less on the headline names and more on the depth chart behind them, where a few younger backups are positioned to matter in a hurry. Austin Booker is one of the clearest examples, since his role in the pass rush could grow if Dayo Odeyingbo is not fully healthy, and that kind of spillover can reshape how a defense holds up over the course of a season.
Cole Kmet also sits near the center of the conversation, with his offensive role likely to expand if Colston Loveland is unavailable, while Neville Gallimore was brought in to add needed defensive line depth. Then there is Zavion Thomas, whose speed gives Chicago another flexible piece to consider on special teams and offense, a useful sort of insurance if the Bears need answers from unexpected places. [Read more 🡒]