Ozzy Trapilo's Return Raises a Question the Bears Can't Ignore Much Longer

The Chicago Bears released their final Week 2 injury report before their game against the Minnesota Vikings, and it literally could not have been any better. Every player who had appeared on previous injury reports throughout the week was a full participant, including right tackle Darnell Wright, who gave fans a fright after missing practice on Tuesday with what was listed as a knee injury.

But that's not even the biggest story from Friday's injury report. Left tackle Ozzy Trapilo finally practiced in full. It was a short and light practice, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, and Trapilo's still unlikely to start on Sunday, but it's an impressive milestone, nonetheless. Trapilo's improbable return from injury continues to amaze, and with a full participation in practice under his belt, his return to the starting lineup should be imminent.

Should be, but it's not guaranteed. For one, the Bears may look at their current lineup and not feel like they're in a rush to get Trapilo back on the field. For two, Trapilo may be way ahead of schedule on his recovery, but there remains one uncomfortable question that he must answer: will he be able to play at the same high level he was at the end of the 2025 season, or has rupturing his patellar tendon capped his ceiling?

Ozzy Trapilo's injury tends to be catastrophic for offensive linemen

Many sports fans think that tearing an ACL or an Achille's tendon is the worst injury a player can suffer, but that's not quite true. Those are significant ailments, but a ruptured patellar tendon is uniquely devastating, and that's what happened to Trapilo at the end of the Bears' miraculous Wild Card win over the Green Bay Packers in January.

Most players who suffer this injury can't even get back to football activity for at least nine months, and Trapilo already beat that mark. But what's worse is the lingering effect of the injury and how it can permanently cap a player's ceiling. This is especially true for gigantic human beings like NFL offensive linemen.

That's the conversation that nobody wants to have about Trapilo, and understandbly so. It's much nicer to simply believe that, once Trapilo is healthy enough to start, he'll step back into his starting role as if he never left. But the unfortunate truth is that there's a decent chance he won't be the same impact player he was nine months ago.

The Bears prepared to be without Ozzy Trapilo for most of the season

Chicago Bears OT Braxton Jones after the game against the Dallas Cowboys. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's a credit to general manager Ryan Poles that the Bears were prepared to go most of the season without Trapilo in the first place. He re-signed Braxton Jones to a one-year contract and brought in some competition in free agency. By the end of training camp, Jones had won the starting left tackle job and performed well in Week 1, earning a 77.5 impact grade from Pro Football Network.

What this means for Trapilo is that he likely can't expect to simply waltz back into his starting job, barring a disastrous performance from Jones on Sunday. There's no reason to rush him back into the lineup after all the time this offensive line has spent together, even if he is capable of playing at the same level as before.

In basketball, this concept is called 'riding the hot hand'. If a player who typically isn't your biggest scorer is hitting every shot he takes, you don't go away from him for anyone else, not even the star of the team. You feed him until he starts to miss. That's how the Bears should handle their left tackle situation. Until Jones gives you reason to bench him, let him keep working.

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