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Bears' ongoing left tackle dilemma shows no clear solution entering Week 6

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI | By Bryan Perez | Last updated Oct 8, 2025 1:04 PM ET

Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson dodged reporters' questions when he was asked who the team's starting left tackle would be in Week 6 against the Washington Commanders.

“We have a good idea of who our left tackle is going to be,” Johnson said on Tuesday. Although, he didn't reveal who that guy is.

Most team insiders are predicting the LT1 will be Theo Benedet, who replaced Braxton Jones in Week 4's win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Benedet ended that contest with a team-worst 35.2 Pro Football Focus grade on offense, including a horrendous 36.6 pass-blocking grade and an equally bad 39.8 run-blocking score.

Unfortunately, Braxton Jones wasn't much better. He was the second-lowest graded Bear on offense, earning a 41.3 and was even worse than Benedet in the run game: 28.1.

Jones has been the Bears' weakest link along the offensive line for most of this season, which, honestly, shouldn't be a surprise, considering he's returning from a severe ankle injury that he suffered in December.

Jones' struggle against power players has been a problem since his rookie season, and it appears Johnson is ready to move in a different direction. With Jones in the final year of his contract, there's no point in investing any more starter's reps into him if he isn't in the team's future plans.

Benedet, meanwhile, is.

“(Benedet) is a really good run blocker first and foremost,” Johnson said after the Raiders game. “I think it probably took him just a minute to settle in. It didn’t matter which side it was going to be on — right or left. I think he’s equally proficient at either one. He’s just had such a good spring and summer for us that I’ve got a lot of confidence there.”

In an ideal world, the Bears would line up Trapilo at left tackle and Darnell Wright at right tackle. But Trapilo's struggles on the left side have him settling in as the firm backup behind Wright, and there are even some whispers that he could unseat Wright as a starter if the former first-round pick doesn't elevate his play and cut down his mistakes.

“He’s a really good player,” Johnson said of Trapilo. “I think he’s really settled in on that right side. I’m really looking forward to all those tackles getting healthy and getting after it again.”

At this point, the Bears have to decide who their left tackle is, and stick with it for at least a few weeks. The flip-flop can't continue, nor should it. Braxton Jones had his chance, and while Chicago could do worse than him as a starter, there's also room for massive improvement.

Will Benedet be that guy? Should they move Wright to the left side? Does Trapilo deserve another shot?

Bears fans can't answer that. Only Ben Johnson can. And the sooner he does, the better the Chicago Bears' playoff chances will be.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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