Bears' Ozzy Trapilo Could Return From Injury Far Sooner Than Expected

Modern medicine continues to work miracles, especially in the world of football. Back in January, Ozzy Trapilo ruptured his patellar tendon, an injury that was expected to sideline him for most of the 2026 season. But according to Adam Hoge and Adam Jahns of the Hoge and Jahns podcast, general manager Ryan Poles confirmed to them that Trapilo could "potentially" be back before the end of training camp, blowing away even the most optimistic interpretation of Trapilo's latest injury update from Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

Trapilo's new best-case scenario is beyond Bears fans' wildest dreams

Ben Johnson and Ozzy Trapil — Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson talks with OT Ozzy Trapilo during minicamp. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hoge and Jahns have not yet released their full conversation with Poles; that episode drops tomorrow. But in the clip shared to social media on the official Hoge and Jahns X account, Poles mentioned the necessity of participating in padded practices for players to prepare for games. "We've looked at that on a calendar and want to map that out for him so he feels confident coming back," Poles said.

When asked by Hoge whether training camp was still on the table, Poles replied with one word: potentially. That word can mean many different things to different people, but even acknowledging such a possibility is incredible news for the Bears. Instead of going almost the entire year without their starting left tackle, the Bears could very well have him back in the lineup in September.

Again, there's still a wide range of outcomes for Trapilo here. As Poles said, padded practices are vital for NFL players to be ready to go in for the regular season, so even if Trapilo does in fact return before the end of training camp, he's going to need a ramp up period. How long that takes will be up to head coach Ben Johnson, his coaches, and the athletic staff.

A return for Ozzy Trapilo could be the final piece of the puzzle for Ben Johnson's offense

Trapilo only started six games in 2025 during the latter part of the season, but he once he got that starting job, he never gave it up. He looked like the best left tackle Chicago had seen in years; watching him limp to the sideline on the Bears' final offensive drive of their Wild Card matchup in January devastated Bears fans. Adding insult to injury, the initial reveal of a ruptured patellar tendon was even worse than we thought.

To be fair to his teammates, the Bears likely would have been okay if they had to turn to a replacement for half the season. The left tackle position battle in training camp has had a few twists and turns, but Braxton Jones was the top dog and would have likely been fine as a starter. He may still get to start early in the season, if Poles' projection proves overly rosy.

But as good as he is, Jones is no Trapilo. Plus, the rest of the offensive line already has good chemistry with Trapilo that they may not have with Jones, who hasn't played a football game since last September. Once Trapilo gets back into the lineup, whether that's September or November, we should see the Bears' offensive line return to being one of the best in the league.

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