The Chicago Bears pulled off an emotional comeback win last week, but the celebration was short-lived. Late in the game, rookie left tackle Ozzy Trapilo went down with a knee injury that’s now confirmed to be a patellar tendon issue-one that will sideline him for the rest of the Bears’ playoff run.
Trapilo’s injury stings for more than one reason. Not only had he stepped up as a promising answer at left tackle, but his toughness in the moment was telling.
Despite the severity of the injury, he managed to limp off the field, saving the Bears a critical timeout during their game-winning drive. That kind of grit doesn’t go unnoticed in a locker room or on the sideline.
Now, with the Bears preparing to face the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round, the focus shifts to who will be tasked with protecting Caleb Williams’ blindside against one of the NFL’s most disruptive defensive fronts.
The team made it official this week, placing Trapilo and linebacker T.J. Edwards on injured reserve.
In a corresponding move, they activated Braxton Jones from IR. Jones, the team’s former starter at left tackle, is now back in the mix after missing significant time with a knee injury of his own.
But don’t expect Jones to be thrust right back into the starting lineup.
According to Bears insider Brad Biggs, who spoke Thursday morning on 670 The Score’s Mully and Haugh show, Jones is more of an emergency option at this point. “With Braxton Jones, he’s the ‘break glass in case of emergency’ guy here,” Biggs said.
“You’ve seen them use that six offensive lineman set at times-like when Theo Benedet was starting at left tackle and Ozzy was the sixth guy. [Jones] only got a couple snaps, maybe two or three.”
That’s the plan again, only this time Benedet is back in the starting role. After Jones was benched in Week 4 and later placed on IR, Benedet stepped in and made seven starts.
His performance was uneven, and eventually, an injury of his own opened the door for Trapilo to take over-and he never looked back. Benedet saw limited action in Week 18, but now, with Trapilo out, he’s being asked to step up again on the biggest stage of the season.
As for Jones, he’ll be suiting up, but his role will likely be limited to jumbo sets and as a backup in case of injury. Biggs noted that Thursday marked just his second practice since October, so while he brings valuable experience, he’s still working his way back into game shape. And with the Rams bringing a relentless pass rush, there’s no margin for rust.
So, the Bears head into Sunday night’s showdown with the Rams leaning on Benedet to hold down the left side of the line. It’s not ideal, but it’s far from a disaster.
Having a veteran like Jones waiting in the wings is a luxury many playoff teams don’t have. Still, the pressure is squarely on Benedet now.
Protecting a young quarterback like Williams in a playoff environment is no small task-especially against a Rams defense that thrives on disruption.
The Bears have been finding answers all season long. Now they’ll need one more, just when it matters most.