Bear Digest

Bears make key Joe Thuney position decision ahead of Rams Divisional Round

The Chicago Bears have made a bold decision for their Divisional Round game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Bryan Perez|
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Chicago Bears

There are bold decisions, and then there are really bold decisions. The change the Chicago Bears are making in the starting lineup for their Divisional Round game against the Los Angeles Rams is in the latter category.

Theo Benedet seemed positioned to take over at left tackle following rookie Ozzy Trapilo's injury, yet head coach Ben Johnson reached a different conclusion.

All-pro guard Joe Thuney will instead step in as LT1 against a vaunted Rams pass rush.

Indeed, Thuney has experience at left tackle. He stepped into the same role last season for the Kansas City Chiefs when they, too, suffered an injury to their starter. In fact, Thuney was a big reason why the Chiefs made another Super Bowl appearance.

The move carries inherent risk, as Joe Thuney’s absence from left guard elevates Jordan McFadden into a critical role. While the Bears have spoken highly of McFadden’s development, he has yet to establish himself as a dependable NFL starter through three seasons.

We'll find out early in the game whether the Chicago Bears' bold decision is the right one.

As for the rest of the Bears' injury news, the team released the official list of inactive players for the Divisional Round.

There were no big surprises.

It is at least a little odd that Braxton Jones isn't active for the game, especially considering he was a full-go during practice and the possibility that the Bears might need to tinker with their starting five as the game unfolds.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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