Bears' Left Tackle Change at Practice is Bad News For Kiran Amegadjie, Jedrick Wills

The Chicago Bears shook things up at left tackle on Tuesday and it amounts to bad news for Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills.

Chicago Bears offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie (72) and offensive tackle Theo Benedet (79) walk on the field during Training Camp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Chicago Bears are shaking things up at left tackle on Tuesday and it amounts to bad news for Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills.

Ahead of practice, Bears head coach Ben Johnson revealed that Theo Benedet would get the second-team reps at left tackle behind Braxton Jones, who is working with the ones.

"We're going to make a couple of changes (at left tackle)," he said. "You'll see it today, where Braxton will be back. He'll take the reps with the ones.

"We're going to move Theo over to the left side, get him some reps with the twos there. So, as far as I'm concerned, the competition remains wide open and we'll continue to play that one out."

Throughout training camp, Benedet has been working on the right side and Amegadjie and Wills, both of whom will work with the twos at right tackle for now, have been rotating at left tackle behind Jones and were sharing first-team reps after Jones suffered an injury.

When it comes to Ozzy Trapilo, who returned to practice on a limited basis after he was activated off the PUP list on Sunday, Johnson said the 2025 second-round pick has "got his own timeline" but didn't offer much else.

Trapilo's return is nothing short of miraculous, as his activation and return to practice came just seven months after he tore his patellar tendon in January.

Whether or not he's ready for Week 1 remains to be seen.

What this means for Wills, Amegadjie

Cleveland Browns tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. takes a break on the sideline during NFL football training camp, Saturday, July 31, 2021, in Berea, Ohio. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

While there is no change as far as Jones being the favorite to start at left tackle if Trapilo isn't ready for Week 1, what this change tells us is that the Bears weren't thrilled with Amegadjie and Wills in preseason Week 1.

Neither one was particularly impressive, and Johnson made it clear after the game he wasn't too thrilled with how the line performed overall.

“That's a hard one to assess right now," Johnson said of the left tackle spot. "With trench play, you've got to look at it from behind on film. Overall, our quarterbacks got hit more than I'd like, Tyson in the first half, and we still felt pressure on Case and Miller in the second. The run game was spotty, too.”

With their struggles at left tackle in the opener, the change at left tackle in practice and Trapilo's return, one of Wills and Amegadjie are now more in danger of missing the cut.