Bear Digest

Understanding Bears' options with possible tackle change against Rams

If the Bears move Joe Thuney to tackle as a Tribune report suggests they could, success on Sunday against L.A. could depend on the caliber of their left guard.
Gene Chamberlain|
Jordan McFadden (74) works on blocking with Joe Thuney at practice. Now it's possible McFadden could fill in at Thuney's left guard spot against the Rams if the Bears move Thuney, according to a Tribune report.
Jordan McFadden (74) works on blocking with Joe Thuney at practice. Now it's possible McFadden could fill in at Thuney's left guard spot against the Rams if the Bears move Thuney, according to a Tribune report. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The possibility of Jared Verse or another Rams defensive end coming in untouched off Caleb Williams' must really scare the Bears, or they have a game plan designed to avoid helping the left tackle.

It's about the only assumptions one can draw from a report by the Tribune's Brad Biggs saying the Bears are considering playing All-Pro left guard

If it's a possibility, it doesn't say much for the confidence Bears coaches have in backup left tackle Theo Benedet, who had figured to be starter after left tackle Ozzie Trapilo suffered a season-ending left patellar tendon injury.

Nor does it say much for what they think of former starter Braxton Jones, who has come off of injured reserve after a knee injury following a benching earlier this season. Jones actually played last year against the Rams, had the team's highest run-blocking grade but struggled at pass blocking with five pressures allowed. That was a different Jones, though, as he was healthy and coming off two seasons as starter. Now he's a player benched after struggling to overcome last year's late-season ankle surgery.

Apparently Jones hasn't recovered enough to make the Bears think he can outperform Benedet.

How Thuney has played at tackle

As for Thuney, moving him to left tackle would make it the second straight season he had to come into the postseason after earning All-Pro status at left guard and got moved outside for postseason play.

The first thing to consider is whether it actually would help at left tackle. Thuney is an excellent blocker at guard and was No. 1 among guards at pass block win rate (98%) and third in run block win rate but at tackle he hasn't been nearly as effective.

When KC moved him out to tackle because of their own troubles at the position, it's really questionable whether this worked out. Sure, the Chiefs made the Super Bowl, but what Thuney did failed to stand out as a major reason they got past the AFC Championship Game.

He did have an outstanding AFC Championship game with a PFF 89.3 pass-blocking grade but was below average (59.7) blocking the run. His divisional performance was different. PFF credited him with a sack allowed and two quarterback hits. This type of thing just didn't happen when he played guard. He did have a strong run-blocking performance (76.7).

In the Super Bowl, Thuney had the team's second best overall offensive line grade but he allowed seven pressures and a sack. Like with his performance in the divisional playoffs, it simply wasn't up to what he'd done as a guard.

They also played him at tackle three regular-season games in the season's second half and overall counting the playoffs he allowed 24 pressures and two sacks as a tackle, only 11 pressures inside at guard. He had real problems against Cleveland and Myles Garrett, but who doesn't?

Mike Caliendo started at left guard in Thuney's regular position and posted what PFF would consider average to slightly below average blocking grades.

Weaker at two spots?

They seem to have weakened themselves at two position to ensure tackle was competently maintained.

It's a tradeoff, but if the Bears lack confidence in their left tackles and think they have an answer at guard it could be worthwhile.

The real potential problem here is the left guard would be either Jordan McFadden or Luke Newman. Coaches have been high on Newman since rookie camp and preseason.

“I’ll tell you what, he's got really good contact power,” offensive line coach Dan Roushar said during preseason after seeing the rookie in games for the first time. “When he gets into a block, you can see movement. We like that about him. There are fundamental things we've gotta improve.”


While coaches are excited about Newman's prospects for the future, he was mainly used at right guard and his career so far consists of 25 offensive plays and 47 special teams plays.

McFadden is more the left guard backup and has been around the NFL three years but hasn't played much, either. His plays in this offense consist of two this year. He was in one play last year with the Chargers and 163 in 2023 when he had two starts and 12 total games with L.A.

Caliendo didn't have much more experience than McFadden last year when the Chiefs moved Thuney.

It's a tough call and perhaps they're only considering this if Benedet struggles at left tackle. He is a tackle with limitations. He has the shortest arms of tackle starters in the league but blocks tenaciously in the running game.

It could all come down to what exactly the Bears are planning to do at tight end with Colston Loveland. If they don't want him providing blocking help all day long for the left tackle, perhaps they do make the move.

Everyone will be watching warmups closely Sunday afternoon as the Bears prepare to try and earn a trip to Seattle for the NFC Championship Game, where they would no doubt need to deal with this pass-blocking issue again.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.