The Chicago Bears are no closer to determining their starting left tackle for Week 1, which is less than ideal with the competition nearly a month in the works. In fact, it sounds like the Bears might have an issue at the position.
Ahead of Friday’s joint practice with the Buffalo Bills, which provided a good litmus test against a Super Bowl contender, Bears head coach Ben Johnson explained what he’s looking for at left tackle this weekend.
“Hopefully some clarity,” Johnson said Friday morning. “This thing has gone on for three and a half weeks. There’s been too much up and down.”
Unfortunately, Friday’s practice provided more uncertainty than clarity during a practice where Braxton Jones and Theo Benedet rotated with the starters while rookie Ozzy Trapilo continued to work at right tackle with the second team.
According to Pat the Designer, “The Bears don’t have a single tackle on the left side worth talking about.” Zack Pearson said there are “legit concerns” at left tackle. Dionne Miller said there’s “no clarity at this point.” Which is certainly cause for concern.
Johnson told reporters before practice that they have no issue taking this competition right up to the start of the regular season — and it won’t necessarily stop when Week 1 kicks off.
“We’ll go as long as we need to go to find the right guy,” Johnson said. “…We’d love to go ahead and solidify that spot and move forward from there. And it might be one of those things where when we make that decision, it’s not final for the season. It could be we have to reassess after a couple of weeks of the season or by the bye week we might have to reassess. It might be something that goes on. Wouldn’t be ideal but that’s the thing with the league.”
While it’s encouraging to know the Bears won’t settle on their left tackle, it’s also not comforting in the slightest. After all, when you have three (or four) left tackles, you don’t have one.