Defying a grim recovery timeline, Chicago Bears' former second-round pick Ozzy Trapilo returns off the PUP list to join the left tackle battle.
The Chicago Bears are activating offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo off the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, the team announced on Sunday afternoon.
This is big new for the Bears' offensive, specifically the left tackle position that currently has an ongoing competition for the starting spot. Trapilo ruptured his patellar tendon in the Bears' wild-card game against the Green Bay Packers last season.
During the NFL Scouting Combine, general manager Ryan Poles said that the former second-round draft pick from Boston College would "miss most of the year" because of his injury. That wouldn't have been surprise considering the severity of a ruptured patellar tendon. Los Angeles Chargers left tackle Rashawn Slater didn't play a single regular-season snap in 2025 after he tore his patellar tendon on Aug 3.
However, Trapilo coming off the PUP list shows that not all players and injuries require the same recovery timeline. Poles joined the Hoge & Jahns Podcast on Aug. 11, and shared an important update on the second-year player.
"Yeah, we've talked about the different scenarios," Poles said. "Whether he comes back and has a little bit of training camp. If he comes back in September. I think the big thing for us is padded practices. If you get too far down the line, it's hard to get that physical practice that you need to prepare for games. So, we've kinda looked at that on the calendar, and wanna map that out for him so he feels confident coming back. So, yeah, we've kinda mapped that out and hopefully he's able to capture some of those padded practices."
With Trapilo activated off the PUP list, he is eligible to practice. Poles highlighted that he wanted the 6-foot-8, 312-pound offensive tackle to get some padded practices under his belt. Well, the Bears will have a joint practice against the Cincinnati Bengals this upcoming Thursday.
As the week progresses, we'll get a clearer picture of whether Trapilo can participate in the joint practice or the Aug. 22 preseason game. Chicago is also set to for a joint practice and preseason matchup against the Tennessee Titans to conclude the preseason.
A starting left tackle has not been named, but Johnson shared in his postgame press conference on Saturday that Braxton Jones would be back from his injury "within this week." Jones had the most training camp practices with the first-team starting offense before being injured, but Trapilo's return creates a true competition for the starting job.
Johnson previously states the coaching staff will take all the time they need to make a decision. However, with added competition in the room, it may only be a matter of time before one player separates himself from the group and forces an earlier resolution.
