I try not to put too much stock into what happens during Chicago Bears practices and preseason games. But with that being said, there is a part of me that hopes that a joint session with the Buffalo Bills on Friday and a Sunday night preseason game can help elevate the status of some Bears players.
And for what it’s worth, Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson seems to feel similarly as he goes into the weekend’s festivities.
During his Friday press conference ahead of the team’s joint practice session with the Bills, Johnson laid out what he was looking for in the left tackle competition as it heads into the second week of preseason games.
Hopefully, some clarity. That’s what we’re looking for. You know, this thing has gone on three-and-a-half weeks. I’ll say it again, we’ll go as long as we need to go to find the right guy, but we’d like to see someone go ahead and make it clear to us that he is that guy. And we just haven’t seen that yet as a staff. There’s been too much up and down. So today’s practice will be a huge thing, and so will Sunday’s game in terms of getting clarity there on that.
CHECK IT OUT: Braxton Jones Reflects on Injury, Recovery, and the LT Competition
I don’t want to overstate things, but it sure as heck feels like this weekend could be a litmus test for offensive linemen Braxton Jones, Ozzy Trapilo, and Theo Benedet. It might go a long way for one of those players if they can prove to Johnson and the coaching staff that they are the right fit at left tackle while playing against one of the NFL’s top contenders for the Super Bowl. This isn’t to say that this is a make-or-break weekend for the combatants vying for a starting role. However, the head coach made it clear that this could be an important weekend if someone makes the most of it.
For more from the Bears head coach and his Friday press conference, you can watch the video below:
Three Bears are battling for one starting job
Despite his desire to get answers sooner rather than later, Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson made it clear that he doesn’t want to rush to make a decision. And while patience isn’t a virtue that every fan of Chicago’s football team possesses, having patience feels necessary in order to make it through this camp battle without going bonkers. I thought this part of Johnson’s answer to a question about the left tackle position was telling:
“We’d love to go ahead and solidify that spot and move on from there. And it might be one of those things where when we make that decision, it’s not final for the season. It could be, we have to reassess after a couple of weeks of the season, or by the bye week, we might have to reassess. So it might be something that goes on. It wouldn’t be ideal, but that’s the name of the league.”
MORE: How the Battle to Start at Left Tackle Became a Three-Horse Race
I hate that the Bears do not have an answer at this position right now. The ideal scenario would have been someone pulling up to training camp, taking the gig by the horns, and never letting go. That scenario hasn’t played out. Instead, the two top contenders (incumbent starter Braxton Jones and upstart rookie Ozzy Trapilo) have been joined by second-year undrafted lineman Theo Benedet. The late arrival of Benedet to this race speaks to this coaching staff’s spoken desire to create competition and have players earn their jobs. Benedet has clearly done enough during the offseason training program, at training camp, and in the team’s preseason opener to force his name into the discussion at left tackle.
HOW WOULD YOU GRADE THE BEARS’ OFFENSIVE LINE GOING INTO 2025?
In the end, the Bears’ left tackle situation should serve as a reminder of why fans wanted this team to hire Ben Johnson in the first place. During his first training camp as a head coach, Johnson has established that your starting status under a previous regime or your place as a rookie second-round pick on the rise doesn’t matter as much as how you are performing now and how you will develop in the future. Again, it stinks that this team hasn’t hashed out its starting offensive line at this point in the summer. But part of that is because that job was meant to be earned by a player, and not given out on a whim.
May 10, 2025; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson talks with offensive lineman (75) Ozzy Trapilo during rookie minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn ImagesHence then, the article about ben johnson wants clarity from the left tackle position and soon was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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