The Bears' Problem Position Most Likely to Be Targeted in Trade

When there are rumors of trades and a team has unsettled positions, it's a good bet the problem areas would be addressed if a deal is struck.

The Bears' biggest problem areas, according to coach Ben Johnson, are left tackle and safety.

The tackle situation couldn't be more wide open with Braxton Jones struggling Saturday, Jedrick Wills Jr. having a good pass-blocking day, Theo Benedet looking solid but not spectacular and Kiran Amegadjie experiencing a so-so effort, all according to Pro Football Focus' blocking grades.

Jones, however, worked the entire practice with the first team on Tuesday and had a solid day. Nonetheless, the battle rages.

“Yeah, that’s still an ongoing spot. It's a hot spot for us," Johnson said before Tuesday's practice. "Obviously, we talk about it almost every time I'm up here, and yet I don't know that we are 100% sold on who that guy is going to be for Carolina yet. We're going to still work through it.

#Bears HC Ben Johnson says they uave a "rinse and repeat" plan this week: practice today, light session on travel day tomorrow, joint practice w/ #Titans on Thursday. #DaBears pic.twitter.com/VWIq0dVAfX
— Josh Buckhalter (@JoshGBuck) August 25, 2026

"That's where (Tuesday's practice was) going to be huge for us. Thursday is going to be huge for us, and Saturday is going to be huge for us as well."

Tackle, though, is a clear-cut guessing game. They choose who's best among that group of three tackles or they make a trade. Waiting in the wings is Ozzy Trapilo, as he continues to do individual drills and work with pads at practice but doesn't work in pads with the team. With Trapilo working back, it would seem tackle is the unlikely place they'd look to bolster with a trade.

The safety situation is the really cloudy one. It changed on Tuesday when Elijah Hicks returned from a shin injury and was activated from PUP to compete with Xavier Woods, Cam Lewis and Skyler Thomas, as they seek to replace injured Coby Bryant. It came on a day when rookie linebacker Keyshaun Elliott also came off PUP.

Reinforcements are on the way.

Let's see how quickly Elijah Hicks can get up to speed. He still has an opportunity to earn the starting safety spot opposite Thieneman. https://t.co/NL2feZWMZV
— Brendan Sugrue (@BrendanSugrue) August 25, 2026

"Safety is another spot where we're hoping over those big three days there that we’re able to come to an agreement on who it should be going out there Game 1, so that we can go forward from there," Johnson said.

The strange part of the safety situation is the Bears signed Woods, used him at safety in some practices and now he has been relegated to working with the backups. Cam Lewis lined up at safety on Tuesday with the first team while the defense continues to use rookie cornerback Malik Muhammad at the nickel spot.

Nickel is where Lewis had figured to play because he's not exactly built like a starting safety. The average safety height is 6-foot and average weight for 32 starters is 203. Lewis is 183 pounds and 5-9. There is only one other starting safety in the league as short as Lewis. He could be a safety in a pinch but not in this scheme where both safeties get run-stopping and blitz responsibilities at times.

As long as Kyler Gordon remains out, then Lewis must be regarded as a potential slot. Lewis would be more of a safety if Gordon returns but that can't work long term. If they've given up Woods in favor of Lewis at safety, the chance they'd trade for a safety looks all the more likely.

Ben Johnson told reporters that the starting LT spot is still undecided. @RahimiGrote thought this would be the season that Braxton Jones would solidify himself as the Bears starter, but the competition remains open just a few weeks from the season opener. pic.twitter.com/XTsDKBCSug
— 104.3 The Score (@thescorechicago) August 25, 2026

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