The Chicago Bears could be mixing things up with Joe Thuney and their offensive line.
Playoff football means it’s all hands on deck time at Soldier Field. And while creativity is what Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson’s offensive playbook is known for, he might tap into one of his top player’s positional flexibility if it means putting the best team on the field for Sunday’s NFC Divisional Round game against the Los Angeles Rams.
BEARS-RAMS PREVIEW: TWO CLOSERS, ONE FROZEN STAGE
The Tribune’s Brad Biggs reports that All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney could be an option for Chicago’s football team to start at left tackle. There are two sections of Biggs’ reporting that stand out to me. I’ll highlight them below:
“But for the divisional-round playoff meeting against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday evening at Soldier Field (5:30 p.m., NBC-5, Peacock), Thuney could be the short-term answer at left tackle. Two sources said they believe the Bears are strongly considering shifting Thuney to left tackle with Jordan McFadden or rookie Luke Newman slotting in at left guard.”That’s a spicy meatball from Biggsy. Not only would the Bears turn to Joe Thuney to start at left tackle, they would also pivot to replace Thuney at left guard with a rookie (Luke Newman) or a player who has appeared on a grand total of just three offensive snaps since the start of the 2024 season (Jordan McFadden).
“The Bears brought Braxton Jones, who started the first four games of the season at left tackle, back from injured reserve to the 53-man roster this week after he spent two months recovering from a knee injury. The coaching staff has been positive about his comeback, but sources indicate Plan B — with Trapilo on the shelf — could very well be Thuney.”Two things stand out about the section above. Firstly, it feels telling that Braxton Jones isn’t Plan B in this situation. Jones hasn’t played an offensive snap since Week 4 and hasn’t appeared in a game since Week 7. For what it’s worth, Jones has been a full participant at practice since being designated to return from injured reserve before practice sessions ahead of the team’s wild-card matchup against the Packers. So he might be a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option.
Chicago Bears offensive tackle Braxton Jones. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn ImagesAnd, secondly, Biggs’ framing Joe Thuney as “Plan B” with Ozzy Trapilo out with an injury is sticking with me. Mostly because it leaves open the option of an unmentioned Plan A. Would that be Theo Benedet, who started eight games and came in to replace Thuney at the end of the Packers game?
For more from the long-time Bears writer, you can read his full story at the Tribune here:
Plan B with Ozzy Trapilo out?#Bears could be fixing to move All-Pro Joe Thuney to left tackle to help protect Caleb Williams against formidable #Rams defensive front.Details. t.co/sPuxhVY5Yt
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) January 17, 2026Is Joe Thuney the answer at left tackle?
We won’t know if Joe Thuney is truly the answer at left tackle until the game kicks off. Even then, we could still be in a fluid situation where the left tackle situation fluctuates. Perhaps this is Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson playing mind games with Sean McVay, his counterpart on the Los Angeles Rams.
For what it’s worth, Joe Thuney does have experience as a starting left tackle. Thuney played 300+ snaps at the position for the Kansas City Chiefs last season beginning with the end of the team’s Black Friday game against the Las Vegas Raiders. It feels worth pointing out that Thuney had some moments of brilliance holding it down at left tackle, with his most notable performance coming in the AFC Championship Game when he posted a 73.2 overall grade and 89.2 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. His performance against the Philadelphia Eagles was decidedly worse than that, which gives me pause when thinking about sliding him to left tackle for Sunday’s Bears-Rams playoff showdown.
I don’t love the idea of introducing a new player to the starting lineup (whether it’s Luke Newman or Jordan McFadden) or moving an All-Pro left guard to a position he hasn’t played since last season. However, I trust this coaching staff to make the right decision based on the available information and healthy players they have at their disposal.
Chicago Bears guard Joe Thuney celebrates after a win vs. the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn ImagesPLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE BN BEARS PODCAST: Apple | Spotify | YouTube
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