Bears' Ben Johnson Gives Concerning Update on Left Tackle Situation

The NFL's 2026 league meeting is underway in Phoenix this week, which will make for a busy week of rumors. Much of the attention will be on the league's ongoing attempts to come to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the NFL's Referee Association, especially since news broke that the NFL will begin hiring replacement officials as their current CBA nears expiration. However, that won't stop the rumor mills among each team's fanbase from churning out updates and speculation.

For the Chicago Bears, head coach Ben Johnson already spoke to the media on Monday morning, and his comments on the state of their left tackle position should be worrying for Bears fans. According to Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times, "all options are on the table" after left tackle Ozzy Trapilo's injury was even worse than we thought. Johnson confirmed that they could go either way on a short-term or long-term solution, and that it's "tough to predict how that position looks this season or over the next five years".

Bears coach Ben Johnson says essentially all options are on the table at left tackle after a “pretty serious injury” to Ozzy Trapilo. Could go short-term solution or long term. Johnson says it’s tough to predict how that position looks this season or over the next 5 years.
— Jason Lieser (@JasonLieser) March 30, 2026

A worst-case scenario for Chicago's offensive line is brewing

That's about as brutal an update as Bears fans could have dreaded, especially after the moves that general manager Ryan Poles had already made in free agency. The Bears signed former first-round pick Jedrick Wills to a one-year deal, and then re-signed Braxton Jones to a one-year deal of his own. Between Wills and Jones, plus Theo Benedet, it seemed like the Bears would be set at left tackle, at least for the 2026 season.

But Johnson's insistence that they may still need a long-term solution is troubling in regard to Trapilo's injury outlook. We haven't heard much about how he's progressing from that January injury. Are the Bears internally worried about his future with this team beyond 2026? That would be a brutal blow to the team so soon after they had finally cemented a good offensive line.

And if they're still looking for short-term solutions, that tells us that they're not nearly as satisfied with their free agency additions as the fans and analysts are. However, Johnson did say that Jones looked "yolked" when he came in to sign his new contract, weighing in at about 310 pounds, according to ESPN's Courtney Cronin. Johnson also noted that Jones is "eager to get his career trajectory back on track" after a brutal, late-season injury of his own in 2024.

Some takeaways from Ben Johnson's 30-minute session at the NFC coaches breakfast
-Said he found out about Drew Dalman's decision to retire in mid-February. Team quickly pivoted to Garrett Bradbury, who they believe "will fit us like a glove"
-Johnson on left tackle: "There's a…
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) March 30, 2026

The Bottom Line

Any way you slice it, Johnson's comments on the left tackle position are a major red flag. The Bears' 2025 awakening on offense was fueled largely by a dominant offensive line. If they regress far enough at this position group, it could cause a drastic step back in their overall efficiency, even with another year of Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson growing together.

This also means that the Bears could very likely take a left tackle with their first-round pick of the 2026 NFL draft. That would not be an ideal situation, given how much help the defense still needs, but if there's a promising left tackle available at No. 25, the Bears may not be in a position to pass on him.

A worst-case scenario for Chicago's offensive line is brewing

The Bottom Line

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