We Finally Got an Update on Ozzy Trapilo, and It's Great News For Bears Fans

Aside from seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai, Ozzy Trapilo was the Chicago Bears' most surprising impactful rookie down the stretch last season.

Yes, a second-round pick should be expected to hold his own once he gets into the lineup, but Trapilo was making a difficult transition to the left side after playing right tackle at the collegiate level. It wasn't exactly going swimmingly either, as the coaching staff removed him from the LT competition early on in training camp.

However, when an injury to Theo Benedet opened the door for him to get a spot start at left tackle in Week 12, he made the most of it. The rookie completely fortified the previous weak spot along the Bears' offensive line, and he would've held onto the job for the rest of the season (and probably the foreseeable future) if he hadn't torn his Achilles in the team's wild card round clash against Green Bay.

The injury cast a dark cloud over the unit entering the offseason, as it can take up to a year for players to return from such a devastating injury. However, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, the Bears might soon be adding one more exciting member to the left tackle competition.

"It looks like Ozzy Trapilo, who started six regular-season games at left tackle, then tore his patellar tendon in the wild-card round, might be back sooner than expected," Breer wrote.

After taking in a Bears practice, @AlbertBreer lauds Caleb Williams’s work running the offense, tosses an interesting comp for young TE Colston Loveland and addresses a few position concerns he has https://t.co/fj6GgyfUJ9
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 9, 2026

Trapilo could repeat his performance from the 2025 campaign

Ozzy Trapilo and Cole Kmet celebrate a touchdown — Nov 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet (85) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles with offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo (75) during the fourth quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's tough not to get Déjà vu when it comes to Chicago's left tackle battle. The Bears were expected to prioritize the position this offseason, but they did so largely by bringing back their home-grown talent. They re-signed both Braxton Jones and Theo Benedet this offseason, and added Jedrick Wills to the room for added competition.

Once again, the left tackle position is by far the biggest question mark along Chicago's front five. It's seemingly a three-man race at this point, with Jones, Wills, and a surprising third member, Kiran Amegadjie, battling for the starting job.

Trapilo is all but guaranteed to start the year on the Injured Reserve list, but the fact that he seemingly might be back this season would be a huge boost for the line. Per PFF, he gave up only two sacks and 15 pressures across 283 pass-blocking snaps, and that was with him still learning the ropes at the position. He'd still be learning the ropes once he returns to the lineup, as well. However, he would at least have something to build on going into year two.

For what it's worth, this is also the second positive development we've gotten on the Trapilo front since minicamp, as he was also seen hitting the gym for conditioning last month.

Bears LT Ozzy Trapilo, who suffered a patellar tendon injury and is expected to miss most of 2026, was spotted doing some strength and conditioning training recently. 👀

Great sign to see during his road to recovery.

🎥: bt__pp via Instagram pic.twitter.com/McG4RNt5qx
— Bearsszn (@bearszn) July 3, 2026

All things considered, fans should somewhat temper expectations for Trapilo coming off the injury. He's not going to provide All-Pro level stability right out of the gates, and he probably won't be back to 100% before the 2027 campaign. With only seven career starts, growing pains are still to be expected.

The fact that they didn't feel urged to make a deeper investment in the LT room does indicate that they feel good about where he's at in his recovery, though. General manager Ryan Poles also echoed that sentiment during the 2026 NFL Draft.

They aren't going to rush him back, either. Not from an injury of this magnitude. That's another reason for optimism if they do get him back in the lineup at any point in the 2026 season.

If he is activated, it would be safe to expect him to reclaim the starting left tackle job relatively quickly. He easily has the highest upside among the players currently involved in the left tackle competition, and it's safe to assume the team will want to see whether they need to prioritize adding to the room with Jones, Wills, and Benedet all playing out one-year deals.

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