Bears forgotten backup sure could use a change of scenery in 2026

With the offseason comes change, and that is typically reflected in plenty of roster changes. Every team will have one notable player on a new team next year, and some of these players may take the change of scenery and thrive.

Aaron Schatz of ESPN went through every team and listed a player who may benefit from a change of scenery. For the Chicago Bears, the choice was backup lineman Kiran Amegadjie.

On the surface, the reasoning that Schatz offers makes sense.

"It's a shame to get rid of a player who grew up near the Windy City, but it's pretty clear that Amegadjie isn't in the Bears' plans going forward. The 2024 third-round pick likely would have been cut in last season's training camp if not for his Day 2 draft upside. His struggles blocking in space led the Bears to start working him at guard instead of tackle. He could use a fresh start with a new organization for whom he could play guard from Day 1 and hopefully fulfill his collegiate potential as a run blocker."
Aaron Schatz

Will the Chicago Bears move on from Kiran Amegadjie this offseason?

Amedadjie has not been able to see the field for the Bears. The team has had undrafted free agents and unknown veterans get legitimate work before the former third-round pick. That suggests they have no faith in him and would like to move on if they can.

The other end is that the Bears still have a big hole at left tackle. Ozzy Trapilo was in line to start, but an injury he suffered last season may take him out for all of 2026, if not the majority of the year. The team elected to start Theo Benedet over Amegadjie last year, even though Benedet has hardly played American football, let alone seen an NFL field.

Still, it is not like Benedet ran away with the job, and the team was ready to relegate him to depth and start Trapilo when Trapilo was healthy. In a perfect world, there is no role for Amedadjie, and the Bears move on.

However, in a world where Trapilo is hurt and Benedet is not proven, the Bears have a backup with potential on the roster thanks to their third-round pick entering year three. This player was from Yale, so he was not expected to hit the ground running.

There is a real chance that Amegadjie shows up at training camp as a better player and beats out Benedt to start at left tackle in Week 1. That potential is still too valuable to give up on, even if the first two years have not gone as anyone wanted.

The team may look into options, but right now it would be surprising if the Bears move on from Amegadjie.