Bear Goggles On

For a stretch of last season, it looked like the Chicago Bears had their long-term answer at one of the most important positions on the field. Ozzy Trapilo seized the opportunity at left tackle when it came his way, leaving any other possible options in his wake. Then, when Trapilo suffered a torn patellar tendon late in the Wild Card Round win over the Green Bay Packers, those plans were altered for this year. Trapilo is expected to miss a big chunk of the season, if not the entire campaign.

The Chicago Bears have some great players on their roster entering the 2026 season, which might lead to some players not making the team but could also open the door to huge possibilities. This offseason, the Bears let a lot of their pending free agents walk and sign elsewhere. That led Bears general manager Ryan Poles to look for cheaper or younger options to replace those guys through free agency and the NFL Draft.

As the Chicago Bears get ready to kick off training camp, most fans aren't anticipating any real big surprises when it comes to this final roster. Sure, there are some battles that need sorting. But, in terms of the players who make the roster? No big surprises are expected. How will the left tackle battle shake out? Who steps up in the wide receiver room? Do the Bears find a pass rush out of thin air? These are questions worth asking.

There was excitement from Chicago Bears fans when they selected wide receiver Rome Odunze eight picks behind quarterback Caleb Williams in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but now the temperature is being turned up. Odunze's rookie year got a pass because there was so much dysfunction within the organization at the time, but 2025's great start was ruined by a foot injury that cost him the final five games of the season.

This offseason, there were a lot of changes to the Chicago Bears on defense, as they lost multiple players to free agency. While it may have been by plan, the team lost five key players in the secondary and let go of linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. Four of those five secondary players were starters at one point last season, which really left a massive gap in the roster for the team to address. One of those starters in particular, safety Jaquan Brisker, seems to miss being in Chicago.

The NFL is not a perfect organization, but there is one issue that has not yet been resolved that really should be. For years, there have been complaints from NFL players that there aren't grass fields in every NFL stadium. While the noise has been loud from them, the league has refused to step in and has just let the teams decide for themselves. With the World Cup having been completed, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams took to social media heading into the weekend with a message.

DJ Moore had a solid run as a Chicago Bear, but the worst-kept secret heading into this offseason involved him being traded. Thankfully, it came to fruition quickly, with the deal that sent him to the Buffalo Bills. Moore's role in the offense was no longer justified by the financial investment attached to him, and the Bears needed the cap space they cleared via trading him. Of course, the move, as moves like that tend to, came with a noticeable dead money hit ($12 million).

For the second straight training camp, the Chicago Bears will have a battle for the starting job at left tackle. Braxton Jones is the easy frontrunner, with Ozzie Trapilo expected to miss at least a big chunk of the coming season, but Theo Benedet and Jedrick Wills will have a chance to compete. For all intents and purposes, barring a rash of injuries that hits all three of those guys, the Bears will not be adding anyone notable to that competition.

When the Chicago Bears selected safety Dillon Thieneman with the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, it was clear that it was a great pick. The first week saw Thieneman being more of a backup on the Bears' defense, but once he got into the starting lineup, he thrived. That got everyone excited, including Bleacher Report writer Kristopher Knox, who said to buy into the recent buzz around Thieneman. "Thieneman will, of course, have to solidify a starting role in the coming weeks.

The Chicago Bears have plenty of talent with the roster that could help them out with depth, but could be difference makers on other teams. Bears general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson have done a masterful job at contructing the roster to look the way it does. It's got a lot of young talent that will be on the team for a long time, but could attract other NFL teams to call about a trade.