Why Theo Benedet in Bears’ starting lineup is more concerning than you think

The Chicago Bears are prepping to square off against the Las Vegas Raiders and one of the best edge rushers in the NFL, Maxx Crosby, without starting right tackle Darnell Wright, who will miss Week 4 with an elbow injury.

Obviously, that's the bad news.

Wright's likely replacement in the starting lineup is second-year standout Theo Benedet, who, after signing with the Bears as an undrafted free agent, was the star of HBO's Hard Knocks last offseason. He's developed into a fringe-starter, which would normally be good news for Chicago if it weren't for a decision GM Ryan Poles made in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Second-round pick Ozzy Trapilo, who's suddenly the worse news.

Yes, that Ozzy Trapilo, the former Boston College star who at one time looked like he'd replace Braxton Jones as the Bears' starting left tackle.

But Trapilo's struggles on the left side forced the Bears to move him back to his natural right tackle position toward the end of the summer. Most fans assumed he'd be the next man up if Wright struggled or got hurt.

Nope. Instead, it's Benedet.

"He commits to the fundamentals, he plays with the low pad level, he comes off the ball, he's willing to strike you," Johnson said of Benedet. "As a pass protector, he continues to get better every single day. We see that, [offensive line] coach [Dan] Roushar and [assistant] Kyle [DeVan], they're on him. Really, I think he's taken a step in the right direction. I have a lot of confidence in him. If he goes out there and is called upon, he can go out there and battle it out."

At the end of the day, all that matters is that the Bears field the best starting five offensive linemen against the Raiders. But, if we're being honest, it would be really nice if Chicago was seeing enough from Trapilo to give him the promotion.

If so, the Bears' 2025 second round would be looking sweet.

Luther Burden III had his first 100-yard game against the Cowboys in Week 3. Shemar Turner played a good number of reps and flashed some serious twitch. Trapilo, who began training camp with the best chance of contributing right away, now seems like the furthest of the second-round draft class from making an impact.

"I'm really excited," Benedet said of his opportunity. "Obviously me and Ozzy have both been getting prepared for that chance. I'm ready. The last few weeks have given me a whole lot of confidence, too. Just fired up. It's a great stadium, a great challenge with their D-line. Excited."

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