Chicago Bears Are Shaking Up Entire Left Side Of O-Line Before Rams Showdown

The injury to Ozzy Trapilo was always going to make things interesting for the Chicago Bears offensive line going into the second round of the playoffs. However, nobody could’ve predicted it might lead to this. All season, the team has played the same four guys at left guard, center, right guard, and right tackle. Left tackle was the one spot that kept rotating. It started with Braxton Jones, then moved to Theo Benedet, and finally to Trapilo. After the rookie went down, Benedet filled in the rest of the way against Green Bay.

Everybody assumed that would be the case again this Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams. Apparently, head coach Ben Johnson has different ideas. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported on Saturday that the team is leaning towards shifting left guard Joe Thuney outside to left tackle, trusting his pass protection skills more than Benedet’s.

So who fills in at guard? Most would think it will be rookie Luke Newman, who played there earlier in the season. Nope, Adam Jahns of CHGO is confident it will be journeyman Jordan McFadden.

This feels like a bold decision for the Chicago Bears.

One would think that maintaining stability across four positions is more important. However, it seems Benedet’s weaknesses in pass protection have Johnson believing it could derail the entire offense. He would be going against Jared Verse, one of the NFL’s best young pass rushers. Thuney might not be a natural tackle, but he’s an excellent technician who should be able to hold his own. The bigger surprise is McFadden. He has played a grand total of two snaps this season. He started two games as a rookie in 2023, but has done nothing since. He did have a solid preseason, but that doesn’t provide much confidence.

So why him over Newman? It is likely either his experience or his health. Newman spent time on IR this season with a foot injury. It’s possible he still isn’t fully recovered from that. McFadden is fresh and has spent all year learning the offense. He also has a better reputation as a run blocker. Johnson wants to run the ball. Either way, the Chicago Bears are taking a calculated gamble with this decision. They must feel the formula they used last week won’t suffice against this opponent.