Bears announce starting left tackle, but not QB, for Week 4 vs. Jets

The Ozzy Trapilo return will wait for another week.

While Bears coach Ben Johnson on Friday wouldn't announce his starting quarterback for Sunday's game, he did say who his starting left tackle will be. Trapilo will remain out for another week as he strengthens his knee following patellar tendon surgery. Theo Benedet will face the Jets in what looks like a tough assignment.

“We’re still working out Ozzy just to make sure that the confidence is back," Johnson said. "He’s looking better each and every week. He was one of those guys in Wednesday night’s practice in pads. He stood out in a good way. He’s going the right way and he might be available sooner rather than later.

"It’s not going to be this week. We’re going to go with Theo this week.”

At least according to Pro Football Focus' grades, Benedet went through a poor performance last week at left tackle after Braxton Jones' knee injury. He had the lowest pass-blocking grade on the team for 17 blocks thrown over the time he played. Preparing for the assignment this week could make a difference, though. He was thrust into the action Monday night five minutes into the third quarter.

Another take that’s not been spoken about for Bears win against Eagles

Theo Benedet played over half the game at LT & Garrett Bradbury at C was very good against Eagles DL

Best part, you didn’t hear their names called! That’s what I want to see…well done Theo & Garrett pic.twitter.com/9rRvTxKoVa
— Ant - Cork City Bears Fan (@BearsCork) September 30, 2026

During the past week, Johnson spoke about possibly looking at one of his guards at tackle, like Jordan McFadden or Joe Thuney. However, they're going to give Benedet another shot. The guards would be an option if something happened to Benedet.

Benedet and Darnell Wright will be entrusted with blocking a rising defensive edge group of rushers, particularly David Bailey. Both Bailey and Kingsley Enagbare have two sacks and the also have first-round pick Will McDonald. It's Bailey who has Johnson's attention.

with Ben Johnson having Theo Benedet as the uber-athletic swing tackle, he’s already shown a willingness to flip Darnell to the left side, occasionally.

it’s an entirely different way to attack an offense, with so many added angles & wrinkles to fold into the play-calls. https://t.co/6TRSYefJgr
— VOID (@ChicagoVOID) October 2, 2026

"He has got an excellent first step," Johnson said. "In general, their edge group is probably the quickest off the ball that we’ve seen so far. That’s a collection. They’ve got three or four guys that they can roll through. Our tackles are going to have their work cut out for them, particularly in our drop-back pass game, just to make sure we can negate those guys.

"He in particular — sometimes it takes these young players a little bit to get going, and yet here he is three games in and he’s leading their team in pressures and quarterback hits, and you can see why, just because he’s got this elite get-off, he’s slippery. The future is really bright for that player.”

It will be up to Benedet, the Bears' "Canadian Eagle," in his first start of the year and ninth overall to make sure whichever quarterback plays is free of that edge rush.

We aren’t really running to the left side anyway

Even leaning left rush, it’s a gap not BC
— Alessandro Chan (@cmb0130) September 29, 2026

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