A promising rookie's injury leaves a gaping hole at left tackle. One veteran signing could bridge the gap and make perfect sense for the Bears.
The Chicago Bears have a hole at left tackle and need to address it this offseason.
It appeared that the team had finally solved the enigma at left tackle once rookie Ozzy Trapilo won the starting job in Week 12. After starting the year with Braxton Jones and Theo Benedet there, it really looked like the Bears had found their franchise left tackle.
Then, disaster struck in the playoffs.
During the second half of the Bears' comeback win over the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card, Trapilo left the game with an injury. Chicago went on to win, but every fan held their breath awaiting the results of the injury.
Unfortunately, it was revealed that Trapilo had sustained a season-ending patellar injury. Things got worse after General Manager Ryan Poles shared that Trapilo was expected to miss most of the 2026 season as well.
In a surprising move, the Bears are also going to need a center after Drew Dalman retired. Dalman announced he was retiring on Tuesday after five seasons in the NFL.
The solution at left tackle? The Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs has one that might work.
It's going to be hard for the Bears to find a left tackle to bridge the gap for 2026 who would be willing to join the team on a one-year deal. If it were any other position along the offensive line, it could work, but a reliable left tackle is just too valuable.
"The Bears are in a position where if they don't pay big money for one somehow, or they don't use a high-draft pick on one, and they use a second on Trapilo, and people would debate you on whether or not he's the left tackle candidate of the future," Biggs said. "You need a bridge tackle, who gets you to the point that Trapilo's back, or you're considering some other long-term plan, right? Good luck finding bridge left tackles. Good ones aren't gonna be signing one-year deals for budget buys. It's a tricky spot. You need a bridge guard? No problem. You could take your pick of a half dozen. You need a bridge at right tackle? Again, not a problem."
He proposed re-signing Jones to a one-year deal.
That way, Jones could reset his market value, the Bears wouldn't have to commit to a long-term deal, and they could hopefully get Trapilo back healthy later in the 2026 season.
Jones' market value is currently at around $4.8 million annually, according to Spotrac.
"A bridge at left tackle's a little bit trickier, and a one-year deal with Braxton Jones is something that would certainly have a possibility of being a win-win for both parties," Biggs said. "Would give Braxton a chance to sort of rebuild his market, and would give the Bears a player they think could hold down the fort for them, but it might be a situation where Ben Johnson is sort of having to game plan around the left tackle situation, at least against certain opponents, based on who they can line up over there."
The timetable for Trapilo's return has him returning to the Bears late into the 2026 season. Instead of using a draft pick on a left tackle or bringing in a bridge guy in free agency, this is the best option for the Bears if they still want to commit to Trapilo as their franchise left tackle without breaking the bank.
A good left tackle is hard to find, and if the Bears are patient and allow Trapilo to heal from his patellar injury, it could pay dividends.