The Chicago Bears lost two key starters in their victory over the Green Bay Packers including left tackle Ozzy Trapilo.
Trapilo suffered a torn patella tendon in his left knee in the fourth quarter of the Bears’ first playoff victory in 15 years, which will be a significant problem regardless of who Chicago plays next.
“Another bad injury for the #Bears: Starting LT Ozzy Trapilo suffered a patellar injury and is out for the season, coach Ben Johnson said,” per a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport late Saturday night.
Sports doctor and former longtime NFL team physician David J. Chao posted a video of the play to his X account on Saturday afternoon, predicting in the post that Chicago will activate former starting left tackle Braxton Jones off of the injured reserve list (IR) in the wake of Trapilo’s injury.
Braxton Jones Has Battled Ankle, Knee Injuries Throughout Season
GettyChicago Bears left tackle Braxton Jones.
Injuries have plagued Jones for much of the 2025 campaign, which has led him to appear in just six games. He started only four of those. Jones, a fifth-round pick in 2022, has started 44 of 46 games with the Bears, including all 40 in which he appeared across his first three pro seasons.
Jones underwent ankle surgery in the offseason following an injury he suffered near the end of 2024. Ankle issues impacted Jones’ play early this year, and the team ultimately chose to bench him in favor of Theo Benedet.
Benedet, 24 years old, joined the Bears in 2024 as an undrafted free agent, but injury issues of his own kept him sidelined until his NFL debut this season. He has played in 16 games and made eight starts.
Benedet will likely move into the starting role at left tackle with Trapilo out for the year. A second-round pick (No. 56 overall) out of Boston College back in April, Trapilo played in 14 games during his rookie campaign and started six times.
But with Benedet moving back into the starting lineup, Chicago loses depth across multiple positions on the offensive line. Thus, Jones could be an important addition after knee issues landed him on IR in October and then a second time last month.
The team recently opened Jones’ 21-day practice window and he was a full participant in practice leading up to the team’s Wild Card Round playoff game Saturday night, though he remained off the active roster for that contest.
Bears Finished Year With NFL’s 3rd-Ranked Offensive Line
GettyOffensive lineman Joe Thuney of the Chicago Bears.
Chicago’s offensive line finished the season as the league’s No. 3 unit, per Pro Football Focus.
“The Bears’ offensive line gave up a league-high 37 sacks in 2024, but the revamped unit surrendered only 13 sacks in 2025,” PFF’s Zoltán Buday wrote January 7. “Chicago allowed just 145 pressures on 643 snaps, leading to an 87.7 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating, which ranked third in the NFL this season.”
Left guard Joe Thuney and center Drew Dalman, new additions to the Bears’ O-line in 2025 via a trade and free agency, respectively, both earned Pro-Bowl honors following the season. Thuney also earned first-team All-Pro honors at his position.
Meanwhile, right tackle Darnell Wright earned second-team All-Pro honors.
“Wright continued to establish himself among the best run-blocking offensive linemen in the NFL,” Buday continued. “The former first-round pick finished the season with an 85.6 PFF run-blocking grade, which ranked seventh among all offensive tackles.”
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