Ben Johnson met with the media on Monday morning in Phoenix for the NFL Owners meetings, and the Chicago Bears' head coach left all possibilities open for the team to address the left tackle position.
At the 2026 NFL owners meetings in Phoenix, Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson made it clear: all options are on the table when it comes exploring options for the left tackle position.
Johnson discussed the team's current situation at left tackle.
The Bears are keeping an open mind to how to best address the premium position, as this player will have a huge responsibility to protect franchise quarterback Caleb Williams.
Trapilo's season ending ruptured patellar tendon has forced the Bears to pivot and to weigh the short-term possibilities versus the long term.
Braxton Jones, Jedrick Wills and Theo Benedet serve as the short-term options at the left tackle position. The Bears re-signed Jones to a one-year contract and signed Wills, a former-first round pick from Cleveland, on a one-year deal as well.
According to ESPN's Courtney Cronin, Johnson told reporters that Jones is up to 310 pounds and looked "yolked" when the veteran offensive tackle went to sign his contract during free agency.
Jones has familiarity in Johnson's system, but he was benched during the Week 4 game against the Las Vegas Raiders and then sustained a knee injury in Week 7 that ultimately ended his 2025 season.
Wills didn't play a single snap last season for the Browns as he was rehabbing from a significant knee injury. He last played in an NFL game on Nov. 3, 2024.
Benedet took over for Jones in Week 4 at left tackle and remained the starter until Week 11. During that time, Benedet allowed two sacks and 22 quarterback pressures. A quadriceps injury forced him to miss time, and then Trapilo took over as the starter for the remainder of the season.
Something that Johnson also mentioned to reporters is that "there's a lot of uncertainty" at the left tackle position right now and the team isn't sure that Trapilo will be available during the 2026 season. This is where the long-term options could come into play.
CHGO's Adam Jahns provided the transcript of Johnson's answer about the left tackle position.
"And so we're going to have an opportunity right now for a lot of competition," Johnson told reporters. "I feel good about Braxton being in that fold. Theo being in that fold. We signed Jedrick Wills, who I think has got a lot of talent himself. He's hungry to prove that he's capable of being where he was drafted. And so we're going to see what we can end up doing there. And you can't rule out the draft either.
So I think we've put ourselves in a really good situation to where much like last year we can go into this draft and stay true to our board and not force any pick. If there's a tackle or a defensive tackle or a (defensive) end, I think we can go any direction we need to and stay true to that and feel pretty good about it. To give you clarity, it's hard to say right now what that left tackle spot's going to look like this year or five years from now."
General manage Ryan Poles has been making his rounds at various Pro Days around the country. Some of those colleges have featured some prominent offensive tackles who will likely go early in the 2026 NFL Draft. Miami's Francis Mauigoa, Alabama's Kaydn Proctor and Arizona State's Max Iheanachor highlight three of the top offensive tackle prospects that Poles has seen up close.
Although the Bears still have many needs on this roster, offensive tackle may supersede some of those other positions. The Bears are going to do their due diligence to ensure all options have been reviewed before making any final decision on who will play left tackle during the 2026 NFL season.