Bears See Ozzy Trapilo Nearing Return After Rapid Recovery From Knee Injury
The short version
- Ozzy Trapilo is practicing with the Bears after being activated from the PUP list before the season, defying expectations he would miss most or all of 2026
- He tore his patellar tendon in last season's playoff win over Green Bay and did not appear on Thursday's injury report
- Ben Johnson says padded practices are key to rebuilding Trapilo's football conditioning and confidence, with no firm return date set
- Braxton Jones has taken most left tackle snaps, graded 65.3 by PFF (36th of 66 tackles); Theo Benedet has also filled in
- Jones' first-quarter hold against Minnesota carried an EPA of -1.39, the game's second-most impactful penalty
Chicago head coach Ben Johnson says the left tackle is close to game-ready after a ruptured patellar tendon originally threatened his entire 2026 season.
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson offered an encouraging assessment of left tackle Ozzy Trapilo on Thursday, suggesting the offensive lineman is drawing near to a return even though no specific date has been set for him to play in a game.
Trapilo ruptured his patellar tendon during Chicago's playoff victory over the Green Bay Packers last season. The expectation at the time was that the injury would sideline him for most or possibly all of the 2026 campaign, making his activation off the physically unable to perform list before the regular season began a genuine surprise around the league.
One sign of progress came Thursday, when Trapilo's name did not appear on the team's injury report. He has been participating in padded practices, which Johnson described as a critical part of the rehabilitation process for players returning from the PUP list.
"We'll keep working him through these team drills," Johnson said. "That's where these padded practices are so invaluable for us; not just for Ozzy, but [for] the guys coming off the PUP, just maximize their ability to get in football shape the best that we can."
Johnson added that the staff reviews Trapilo's practice repetitions at the end of every week, coaching him toward steady improvement. He noted the tackle is still rebuilding confidence in his ability to bear full weight and play with power, while in some respects he has emerged more flexible and fluid than before the injury — a development the coach credited to Trapilo and the medical staff working with him. "It's just a matter of time now before we feel like he's ready for a game," Johnson said.
In Trapilo's absence, the Bears have split left tackle duties between Braxton Jones and Theo Benedet, with Jones taking the large majority of the snaps there. Pro Football Focus grades Jones at 65.3 for the season, 36th among 66 qualifying tackles, with a pass-blocking grade of 71.2 that ranks 29th.
Jones has been flagged just once this year, but that holding penalty came in the first quarter of Sunday's defeat to Minnesota and carried an EPA of -1.39, the second-most consequential penalty of that game.
With Trapilo already back in practice, the question now is when he reclaims the starting left tackle job. Johnson indicated the remaining hurdle is largely mental — restoring full trust in the knee after such a serious injury — and the team believes his return to game action is drawing close.
The Bears are back in action Monday, September 28, hosting the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field at 8:15 PM EDT on ESPN and ABC.
