Rookie Ozzy Trapilo has solidified the Bears' left tackle spot, impressing coaches with his pro-level poise and fearless blocking against top talent.
The Chicago Bears have had three different players start at left tackle this season.
The Bears started the year with Braxton Jones at left tackle, but he was benched for second-year tackle Theo Benedet after four games. Benedet filled in for a while, but an opportunity arose for rookie Ozzy Trapilo against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Benedet missed the game with a quad injury, as Trapilo started his first NFL game. Trapilo did very well, as the Bears held on for a 31-28 win. Trapilo has been the Bears' starting left tackle ever since.
Head coach Ben Johnson spoke about Trapilo in a recent appearance on "ESPN Chicago 1000am," and noted how impressed he's been with the rookie.
"I kinda talked about it, about midseason there, you felt him really settle in," Johnson said. "I'm not saying left tackle, right tackle, anything like that, you just felt him settle into the pro game. You know, it's coming into the building, and he's very much a pro's pro at this point; he's not a rookie anymore. He's one of the guys in that room; I know they've embraced him. He's got a great head on his shoulders. He's very aware, very smart."
On top of settling into the NFL game's pace, Johnson also noticed that Trapilo hasn't been afraid to block some of the league's best defensive players.
While some would be nervous going into the Cleveland Browns game knowing they would have to block Myles Garrett, Trapilo stood tall and didn't back down from the challenge. Johnson believes Trapilo has a very bright NFL future ahead of him.
"We've put him in some challenging situations, you know, you're going against Myles Garrett, the best D-end in football right now, you would expect a little bit of deer in headlights look, and you don't get that from the guy," Johnson said. "He knows he's really built for this, and I think he knows he belongs, and I think he's gonna contribute and play in this league for a long time."
The Bears took Trapilo in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Boston College. At Boston College, he was First-Team All-ACC in 2024 and Second-Team All-ACC in 2023.
After there were questions about who this team's left tackle long term would be, Trapilo appears to have answered them, going into Week 16.
The Bears' offensive line has been solidified with each game more important than the last as the NFC playoff race continues to heat up.
On Saturday, the Bears get another shot at the Green Bay Packers, but this time at Soldier Field. Kickoff is at 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC.