Injury-forced uncertainty meets new competition. Jedrick Wills joins a heated battle for the crucial Bears left tackle position.
The Chicago Bears are bringing in another player to compete for the left tackle job in 2026.
The Bears found themselves in quite a dilemma after Ozzy Trapilo's injury during the Wild Card win over the Green Bay Packers. Trapilo sustained a season-ending patellar injury, which is most likely going to keep him out for most of the 2026 season.
It was a shame, because Trapilo was looking like the Bears' left tackle of the future. He won the starting job in Week 12. Before then, the position was kind of in limbo. Braxton Jones started the year as the team's left tackle, but was benched for Theo Benedet.
After the regular season was over, the Bears needed to figure out a plan for left tackle. The Bears had already re-signed Benedet, but General Manager Ryan Poles' plan became even clearer after the team decided to bring back Jones on a one-year deal.
I talked about how re-signing Jones on a one-year deal made a lot of sense for the Bears. The move works out well for the Bears since it's not very long-term and gives Jones a chance to reset his market value.
Plus, when Trapilo comes back and is finally like his old self, the team can usher him back into the offensive line.
It seems that Poles wasn't comfortable enough to let Jones and Benedet compete for the starting left tackle job. On Wednesday, the Bears signed tackle Jedrick Wills to a one-year deal, via ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Wills has been in the league since 2020, and until Wednesday, he had spent his entire NFL career with the Cleveland Browns. He played college football at Alabama and went 10th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Wills saw plenty of playing time in the first three years that he spent with the Browns. He started and played in 45 games for the Browns from 2020-22.
Then his playing time dipped due to injury. In 2023, he had an MCL tear that ended his season after eight games.
When he was healthy, he returned for the Browns in 2024, but was eventually benched in favor of Dawand Jones.
Wills then decided to sit out for the entire 2025 season to recover from his lingering knee issues. His four-year, $19.7 million rookie deal with the Browns ran out in 2026, and he entered free agency to be picked up by the Bears.
If Wills' decision to sit out really did pay off, then this offseason competition at left tackle is going to be interesting. You've already got Benedet and Jones, who are familiar with Ben Johnson's offense. Now you bring in Wills, a tackle with a lot of starting experience, but who carries some injury concerns into Chicago.
All the Bears really need is a player who can bridge the gap until Trapilo is healthy, but it's anyone's guess as to who will win this job.