Bears Left Tackle Battle Remains Unresolved Ahead of Season Opener

The Chicago Bears entered training camp without a confirmed starter at left tackle for their Week 1 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Four players—Braxton Jones, Theo Benedet, Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills Jr.—have been rotating in the position since the first practice on July 29. Recent first-team reps were taken by Jones, but head coach Ben Johnson said the decision is still pending.

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The uncertainty mirrors the 2025 campaign, when the Bears cycled through the same four athletes before settling on a starter late in the preseason. Injuries have amplified the issue: 2025 second-round pick Ozzy Trapilo ruptured a patellar tendon in the wild-card playoff win and missed the entire 2025 season. He was activated from the physically unable-to-perform (PUP) list in early August 2026, returning to individual drills later in the month, but the team has not indicated he will be ready for the opening game. Right tackle Darnell Wright, the highest-paid player at his position after a four-year, $116 million extension earlier this month, exited a recent practice with an apparent right-elbow injury.

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• Braxton Jones: drafted in the fifth round (2022); 44 career starts at left tackle, including three in 2025; logged 15 snaps at left tackle in the second preseason game versus the Bengals.

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• Theo Benedet: entered the mix at left tackle after the first two weeks; recorded 28 snaps in the same preseason game.

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• Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills Jr.: moved to right-tackle duties after the first week; Wills backed up Jones in the most recent practice.

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• Darnell Wright: ranked fourth in pass-block win rate (95.2 %) last season; posted the fifth-highest offensive snap count (93.07 %).

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Coach Ben Johnson repeatedly emphasized that the left-tackle spot is “still an ongoing spot” and that the team will continue to evaluate players during daily practices, a joint practice with the Tennessee Titans, and the final preseason game. The Bears activated Trapilo from the PUP list earlier in the month, noting that his recovery is on a “own timeline” and that he has participated only in individual drills since later in the month. Johnson also reported that Wright left practice early after an elbow injury, but did not confirm whether the injury will affect his availability for Week 1.

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Sources agree that Jones is the current front-runner, yet none provide a definitive roster decision. Some outlets suggest that Jones is “trending toward being the starter,” while others stress that the competition remains “wide open.” No official timeline has been set for a final announcement, and the Bears have not disclosed whether Trapilo could return earlier than expected or whether a trade might be considered to address the position.

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• “That’s still an ongoing spot. It’s a hot spot for us,” — Ben Johnson, left head coach

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• “That's still an ongoing spot. It's a hot spot for us. Obviously, we talk about it almost every time I'm up here, and yet I don't know that we are 100% sold on who that guy is going to be for [the season opener against] Carolina yet,” — Ben Johnson, left head coach

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