Superhuman Recovery: Ozzy Trapilo Back in Action

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Superhuman Recovery: Ozzy Trapilo Back in Action

Originally posted on On Tap Sports Net | By Seth Conklin | Last updated Aug 16, 2026 9:14 PM ET

The Chicago Bears entered this offseason with a big question mark at left tackle. Their promising rookie from a season ago, Ozzy Trapilo, tore his patellar tendon on January 10 in an epic playoff victory against the Green Bay Packers. It was assumed at the time that he would be out for majority, if not all, of the 2026 season.

Then, out of the blue, Ryan Poles mentioned in an interview with Hoge and Jahns that Ozzy Trapilo was significantly ahead of schedule. The goal was to get him into some padded practices, but even then, the speculation was a mid-September return. This news sent shockwaves throughout Bears’ fandom. The only question left was how soon he could return to the practice field.

Surprising Activation

That question was answered faster than anyone realized. On Sunday, the Bears activated Trapilo off the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. This does not mean that he is ready to start, but that he can begin to get work in individual drills during practice. How he looks in those drills will allow the team to determine the next steps.

If he is looking good, but still requires a few more weeks of ramp-up period, they can opt to place him on the short-term injured reserve list. This would buy them four weeks versus the six weeks that being on the PUP list requires.

Next Steps?

Judging by the way he is moving, Trapilo seems even further ahead than Poles let on. It is a short clip, but there is solid movement and little-to-no atrophy in his leg. Even if he starts the season on short-term injured reserve, his recovery has been nothing short of remarkable. The way the training camp battle for that position has gone, head coach Ben Johnson has to be ecstatic about the possibility of having his potential franchise left tackle back. All eyes will be on the Bears’ offensive line the rest of the preseason.

This article first appeared on On Tap Sports Net and was syndicated with permission.

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