The Chicago Bears haven’t had a top 10 left tackle in the league since Jimbo Covert retired. Since then, they have navigated stormy waters with a mix of solid veteran free agents, failed 1st-round picks, surprise late-round picks, and nobodies thrust into the job. It was hoped they’d finally found their guy last season with 2nd-round pick Ozzy Trapilo. Then he tore up his knee in the playoffs. So once again, the Bears were back to experimenting. That is how they came back around to Theo Benedet.
If nothing else, he is a great story. A native of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, he was a top prospect for University of British Columbia. He became a 2nd-round pick in the CFL draft, where he had a surefire career as a starter waiting for him in the Canadian league. Instead, he gambled by participating in the East-West Shrine Bowl, chasing his dream of playing in the NFL. That is how the Bears became aware of him, signing the kid to an undrafted contract. After two years of not playing much, he got his first big opportunity last season under head coach Ben Johnson. It was a mixed bag.
Theo Benedet proved a good run-blocker but weak in pass protection.
He allowed 26 pressures in just 334 snaps, including 8 starts. His 92.2% pass-blocking efficiency rating ranked 66th out of 90 qualifying tackles in the NFL. Not great. That said, things may have turned a corner for him in the past five weeks.
- at GB – 3 pressures and a sack allowed (49 snaps)
- at ATL – 1 pressure allowed (36 snaps)
- vs. NE – 2 pressures allowed (29 snaps)
- at SEA – 3 pressures allowed (37 snaps)
- vs. TB – 2 pressures allowed (41 snaps)
- 8 pressures and 1 sack allowed in 96 true pass sets where he was one-on-one with no help
Remember, Theo Benedet allowed 26 pressures in 334 snaps last season. Through the last five games, he’s allowed 11 pressures in 192 snaps. That works out to a 94.27% pass-blocking efficiency—a considerable improvement from last year. One must also remember the context. He has faced some really good defenses during that stretch, including New England, Seattle, and Tampa Bay in the past three weeks. He allowed 7 pressures and no sacks.
🔥 Subscribe to the Untold Chicago YouTube channel to hear Chicago legends tell stories you’ve never seen in headlines — real moments, real experiences, straight from the athletes themselves.
This is such a collective job well done by the Bears.
Please understand that this doesn’t mean Benedet has magically transformed into another Trent Williams. He still has his limitations as a player. The key here is that he’s managed to clean up a lot of the minor details that dogged him last season. His efficiency is better. There are fewer mental mistakes. Offensive line coach Dan Roushar has been masterful in helping him reach this point, proving again that he is one of the best in football. Then you have head coach Ben Johnson, always making sure never to leave Benedet on an island too often, sending him help with tight ends and chip blocks from running backs.
Much of the credit must go to the man himself. Benedet was effectively benched last season. Rather than take over for the injured Trapilo in the playoffs, the Bears chose to slide Joe Thuney to left tackle instead. It would’ve been easy to get discouraged by something like that. Instead, Benedet got back to work this summer and improved his game. A good story has become a great one.
