The 2025 Chicago Bears season was one for the ages.
Chicago took a major step in head coach Ben Johnson’s first season. The team elevated itself to one of the best in the NFL after finishing 5-12 the previous year. It resulted in the franchise’s first playoff berth since 2020, first NFC North title since 2018 and first playoff win since the 2010 playoffs.
The Bears did it in dramatic fashion, too. They had seven comeback wins after they trailed with two minutes left in the game, earning themselves the “Cardiac Bears” nickname.
Chicago will now try to build off of a great season. Bears general manager Ryan Poles and Johnson will need to make some tough roster decisions this offseason as the Bears try to take another step closer to being Super Bowl contenders next year.
Over the next few weeks, Shaw Local will evaluate how each position group did over the past season and start looking toward the offseason. Here’s a look at the offensive line room.
Offensive line
Returning players: Ozzy Trapilo, Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, Jonah Jackson, Darnell Wright, Luke Newman, Kiran Amegadjie, Kyle Hergel
Free agents: Jordan McFadden, Braxton Jones, Theo Benedet, Ryan Bates
Looking back: Poles revamped the offensive line last offseason when he traded for Thuney and Jackson and signed Dalman. His efforts paid off as the Bears built one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.
It didn’t look pretty at the beginning of the season as the unit tried to get into a rhythm with each other. But once things started to click, it really clicked. The group helped the Bears have the third-best running attack in the league, averaging 144.5 rushing yards per game. A season after opponents sacked quarterback Caleb Williams a team-record 68 times, Williams was sacked 24 times this year.
The line’s interior three did a great job of setting the tone. Thuney, Dalman and Jackson played in all 19 games this season and combined to allow four sacks, seven quarterback hits and 88 quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. Thuney and Dalman earned Pro Bowl honors while Thuney was named First Team All-Pro.
Wright took a major step in his third season after he injured his elbow in Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys. The former top-10 draft pick became a dominant force as a run-blocker and improved his pass protection. Wright had the 10th-highest run-blocking grade according to PFF amongst tackles who played at least 50% of the season’s snaps at 82.7. He rated 21st with a 74.6 passing grade and earned his first Second Team All-Pro honor.
Chicago’s offensive line had success despite having a revolving door at left tackle. Jones started the first four games before he was replaced by Benedet. He held on to the spot before Trapilo took over in Week 12 after a Benedet injury. Trapilo seemed to become the Bears’ future at the spot with a strong finish before he suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in his knee in the NFC Wild Card.
“It was cool to see them go through the process,” Poles said. “I think one thing with o-line, it’s almost choreographed. You’ve got to work together. It’s a unique position where that’s true. Seeing those guys figure it out early on and then for that to come together, I think the pinnacle of that was probably the [Philadelphia Eagles] game where you could see those guys rolling and we took their identity that day and so it was really cool to see.”
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What’s next: For a second straight offseason, the Bears will need to find a solution at left tackle.
Poles told reporters at the end of the season that Trapilo likely won’t return from his injury until late into next season. The Bears could bring back either Benedet or Jones to fill the role until Trapilo comes back. But Johnson decided to move Thuney to left tackle and have McFadden play at left guard in the team’s NFC divisional game instead of start either Benedet or Jones.
Trapilo’s recovery from the serious injury will dictate how the Bears respond during the offseason. Chicago could decide to sign a veteran left tackle in free agency to fill in. But they might be forced to use a draft pick and plan toward the future more if the recovery is more serious.
Poles will also likely work on trying to extend Wright, who could earn a top contract after earning All-Pro honors. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Tristan Wirfs earned a five-year, $140.63 million deal, the highest for an offensive lineman in NFL history, while the Detroit Lions’ Penei Sewell signed a four-year, $112 million contract. Chicago will have until May 1 to pick up Wright’s fifth-year option, which Poles will most likely do.
“It was cool to see them go through the process. I think one thing with o-line, it’s almost choreographed. You’ve got to work together. It’s a unique position where that’s true. Seeing those guys figure it out early on and then for that to come together, I think the pinnacle of that was probably the [Philadelphia Eagles] game where you could see those guys rolling and we took their identity that day and so it was really cool to see.”
— Ryan Poles, Bears general manager
With the rest of the starting unit under contract for next season, the rest of the Bears’ offensive line offseason focus will be building up its depth. Chicago didn’t need to use its depth much as the starters mostly stayed healthy. Given the nature of the sport, that likely won’t continue next season.
Newman showed signs that he can be a dependable backup and held his own at times this season. The Bears, like any team, will want to draft and build toward the future. While the group played well this season, Chicago will eventually need to make tough decisions down the road.
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