Chicago Bears fans might look at what's about to come as either a good thing or a bad thing: a new lineman has joined the left tackle position battle at training camp.
Multiple Bears reporters shared at Wednesday's practice that Theo Benedet was rotating in with Braxton Jones with the first-team at left tackle. Ozzy Trapilo was moved over to right tackle with the second team.
CHGO's Adam Jahns shared comments made by Bears offensive line coach Dan Roushar, who praised Benedet for his play, but understands improvement is needed.
"There's a lot of things to really like about Theo. He's had probably as much improvement as any player we have in the group. With that, there's a lot of things for him to improve on and he knows that and we've gotta work on it. He is working his tail off. He has put himself in a position to go compete for a job somewhere in this group."
Theo Benedet has entered the Bears’ competition at left tackle. He rotated with the 1s today with Braxton Jones. Ozzy Trapilo was at RT with the 2s.
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) August 13, 2025
Here is OL coach Dan Roushar on Benedet. pic.twitter.com/SNAQFZpV0f
Should Benedet be a legitimate contender for the left tackle job?
Benedet stands at 6-foot-7, 304 pounds, so he would be the perfect size to be a left tackle. He moves well on pulls and has had a good training camp with a nice performance in the 24-24 tie against the Miami Dolphins in Sunday's preseason game.
The problem is that Benedet is flipping over to left tackle so late in training camp. Jones and Trapilo have been in it longer and have a good feel for it. It may take some time for Benedet to get a feel for it, but he might not have much time.
This is a very telling sign for Jones, who did not have the best performance against the Dolphins. Many fans pointed out his bad miss on his block, but he was bailed out by a great touchdown pass from Tyson Bagent on the play.
It is a big surprise for Trapilo to move over to right tackle, as some have believed he has been winning the left tackle job so far at camp. This could be a case of the Bears wanting Trapilo to get some reps at right tackle in case of injury, so it isn't as much of a hurdle for him to learn the position.
Another aspect to consider is Kiran Amegadjie's placement on the team. Amegadjie worked out with the third team at left tackle, which could only mean he might be out of the competition for the left tackle job. It also means he might be on the outside of the 53-man roster if he can't step up in the next two weeks.
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There's a lot of confusion and uncertainty at left tackle that fans hope will be resolved soon. It appears almost everyone is in the hunt for that job.