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Bears OL Coach Dan Roushar Shares Latest on LT Rotation
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- Bears OL Coach Dan Roushar Shares Latest on LT Rotation
The Chicago Bears had a speedy recovery from left tackle Ozzy Trapilo this season.
Trapilo was supposed to be out for most of the season after his patellar injury in the playoffs against the Green Bay Packers. He worked hard in the offseason, and after starting out on the PUP list, he was activated during training camp.
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It wouldn't be until Week 6 that we would see Trapilo make his 2026 Bears debut . He played in the following game against the New England Patriots but has yet to start for the Bears.
With Braxton Jones on injured reserve, former undrafted free agent Theo Benedet has been the Bears' starting left tackle.
It seems that the plan is to slowly work Trapilo back into the rotation after not playing football for all this time. Still, the question remains, when will we see Trapilo reclaim his starting role?
Offensive line coach Dan Roushar shared the latest on the left tackle situation. Roushar believed that Benedet was starting to gain confidence and that his posture had been improving in the last three games.
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"Each of the last three games, his posture, his balance and his hands have all improved," Roushar said. "I think he's gaining confidence. You see that in his play."
With Trapilo, the Bears assistant noted that he has to play better. Trapilo knows that he hasn't been up to his normal standard of play, and that he must improve going forward.
"He knows it," Roushar said. "He's gotta play better. We gotta have him play better to win."
At the moment, it sounds like Trapilo isn't close to earning his starting role back. At the end of the day, the Bears are going to trust the players they believe will put them in the best position to win every week.
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Benedet is the guy at left tackle right now. He is playing better than Trapilo and has earned his playing time.
It won't be easy for Trapilo to work his way back from an injury like this. It's clear that he still isn't back to his old self just yet. We know the potential that Trapilo has in this league. We saw it last season, when he came in as a rookie and looked dominant.
It's just a matter of Trapilo get used to the speed of the NFL again after missing so much time due to his patellar injury.
Left tackle used to be a big question mark for the Bears. You had inconsistent play from Jones, a UDFA in Benedet, and an unproven rookie in Trapilo at the beginning of last year.
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Bears fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief when it comes to left tackle. Benedet, Jones and Trapilo have turned into reliable options at left tackle.
Whoever the Bears decide to use there going forward will be a good option for the team. This will be an important position battle to follow as the season goes on.
For now, the Bears look ahead to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football in Week 9.
