The Chicago Bears’ run to the NFC Divisional Round this season wasn’t just about the headliners. Like any playoff team worth their salt, they got key contributions from lesser-known names-players who didn’t start the year in the spotlight but found a way to impact games when it mattered most. And according to Pro Football Focus, one of those under-the-radar standouts was rookie offensive lineman Ozzy Trapilo.
Trapilo took over as the Bears’ starting left tackle in Week 12 and quietly became one of the most reliable pieces on the offensive side of the ball. From that point forward, he graded out as Chicago’s sixth-best offensive player overall and cracked the top 10 among all offensive rookies in PFF’s grading system. Not bad for a guy who wasn’t even in the starting lineup for the first 11 weeks of the season.
What makes Trapilo’s emergence even more impressive is the position switch he had to navigate. A right tackle throughout most of his college career, he was asked to flip to the left side-a move that’s far from seamless even for seasoned pros.
There were some growing pains early on, but by the end of the regular season, the Bears’ offensive line was operating with a level of cohesion and consistency that hadn’t been there earlier in the year. Trapilo was a big part of that.
Unfortunately, his season came to a painful end in the Wild Card loss to Green Bay. With just minutes left in the game, Trapilo suffered a torn patellar tendon-a brutal injury for any player, but especially for a young lineman just starting to hit his stride.
In a telling moment, though, he managed to hop off the field under his own power, preserving a crucial timeout for the Bears. That’s the kind of grit that earns respect in locker rooms and front offices alike.
Looking ahead, Trapilo’s injury casts a bit of a shadow over the start of the 2026 season. The Bears already showed their hand when they moved Joe Thuney to left tackle rather than plugging in a deeper bench option after Trapilo went down.
That suggests the team knows it doesn’t have a clear next-man-up at that spot. And with Trapilo likely to miss at least the early part of next season, Chicago will need to find a short-term solution-and fast.
The bigger question is what kind of player Trapilo will be when he returns. Can he build on the promise he showed in 2025 and become a long-term fixture on the Bears’ offensive line?
Or will the injury slow his development just as he was beginning to turn the corner? Time will tell, but the foundation he laid this year is an encouraging start.
Of course, Trapilo wasn’t the only under-the-radar contributor for the Bears this season. Running back Kyle Monangai, a late draft pick, carved out a role and made the most of his touches-showing flashes that could translate into a bigger opportunity next year. On the defensive side, Austin Booker stepped up as a bookend pass rusher opposite Montez Sweat, bringing juice off the edge and flashing real upside.
And then there’s D’Marco Jackson. The linebacker wasn’t even a roster lock when he joined the team, but by season’s end, he was giving the Bears meaningful playoff snaps-and doing so at a level comparable to, if not better than, established starters like Tremaine Edmunds and T.J.
Edwards. If you’re looking for the player who might’ve been the real secret superstar of this Bears squad, Jackson has a strong case.
Still, Trapilo’s impact shouldn’t be overlooked. He stepped into one of the most demanding positions on the field, midseason, on a team fighting for a playoff spot-and held his own.
That’s not just filling in. That’s making a difference.
If he can return healthy and pick up where he left off, the Bears might have found their left tackle of the future.