Braxton Jones is going on Injured Reserve. All one can do is feel terrible for the guy. He fought like crazy to win the left tackle battle this summer, knowing it was probably his last shot to boost his stock for free agency next year. He got off to a great start in the first two weeks, but suffered a knee injury on Monday night against Philadelphia. This landed him on Injured Reserve, putting him out for a month. This immediately made people wonder if Ozzy Trapilo was nearing a return.
Chicago’s former 2nd round pick has made a remarkable recovery from a torn patellar tendon, resuming practice far ahead of schedule. However, the team has been careful to bring him along slowly, refusing to rush him back before he’s ready. Head coach Ben Johnson made it clear that Sunday is not the time. Theo Benedet will get the start in place of Jones. However, Johnson did say that Trapilo is close. Barring any setbacks, it sounds like there’s a strong possibility his return is imminent.
“We’re still working out Ozzy just to make sure that the confidence is back. He’s looking better each and every week. Like I said, he was one of those guys in Wednesday night’s practice in pads that I mean he stood out in a good way. So I think he’s going the right way and he might be available sooner rather than later. It’s not going to be this week. We’re going to go with Theo this week.”
The Bears’ waiting to activate Ozzy Trapilo for Green Bay is pure poetry.
That is who Chicago faces next week. They head up to Lambeau Field for the long-anticipated rematch with the Packers. No doubt their eternal foes are eager for revenge after falling in the playoffs to the Bears. It is certainly a game that Trapilo remembers vividly. It is the one where this entire saga began. He was on that fateful final drive in the 4th quarter that saw Caleb Williams hit D.J. Moore for the winning touchdown. The left tackle wasn’t able to finish it, though. His knee gave out midway through the march.
Think about the story. Trapilo almost sees his career die at the hands of the Packers in the biggest game the Bears have played in over a decade. His sacrifice to reach the sideline and preserve a timeout might be the only lasting memory. Then barely 10 months later, he returns to face that same team for a chance at revenge. You can’t tell us that Johnson didn’t have that game circled with this in mind. For all of the talk about his analytical mind, the man has a deep appreciation for football history—a true romantic of the game.
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The potential setup is perfect.
Green Bay is in a crisis. They’re 1-2 with all sorts of problems. The offensive line is a mess, necessitating the addition of several veterans via free agency. That doesn’t include growing concerns about head coach Matt LaFleur and his shaky status inside the locker room as the team keeps collapsing late in games. Just imagine Ozzy Trapilo returning just in time to help deliver what could be a killing blow to their season. They play Tampa Bay this week. It should be a game they win, but the same thing was said about last Thursday against Atlanta.
If the Bears go into Lambeau Field against a 1-3 team, you can bet Trapilo and everybody else will smell blood in the water. The big left tackle will be eager to exorcise some demons. Everything points to next week being his time. It is so incredibly fitting. Johnson will deny that the timing has anything to do with the decision-making process. Anybody who knows how deliberate this head coach is, especially when it comes to the Packers, can safely think he’s lying.
