Not a single person thought the signing meant much. The Chicago Bears were in the process of trying to improve their team depth. Theo Benedet was a rare player from up in Canada who’d performed well on the All-Star game circuit. He’d done enough to earn the attention of GM Ryan Poles and his scouts, who felt the big tackle had the athleticism and nastiness they preferred. Outside of that, most felt this was a case of a player who might make the back end of the roster and become a decent backup.
Nobody in their right mind thought Benedet would end up becoming the team’s starting left tackle. Yet here we are. Braxton Jones is officially benched. His mistake-filled performance in Las Vegas sealed it. Benedet impressed head coach Ben Johnson throughout training camp, earning the spot as the team’s swing tackle. Now he has a chance to author a new chapter in his amazing story.
The craziest part? There were signs before he even got to the NFL that he was destined to play for the Bears. Adam Jahns of CHGO revealed it.
In 2023, Benedet’s position coach was Dan Dorazio, who passed away last year but was considered one of the best offensive line coaches in the entire country. Derozio coached at Washington in the 1980s under longtime Huskies head coach Don James.
“(Derozio is) a legend in Canada,” Benedet said. “His favorite quote was actually, ‘Nobody who ever gave his best ever regretted it’ — George Halas. He used to always tell us that. So it was kind of fitting that I ended up in Chicago.”
Theo Benedet has no idea of his good fortune.
That season with British Columbia was the last of Dorazio’s career in football. He’d been coaching since all the way back in 1972. He established his reputation in the American college ranks before ultimately relocating to Canada in 1998. There, he molded multiple eventual All-Stars in the CFL, winning four Grey Cup championships. It looked like he’d chosen to retire after the 2020 season. However, British Columbia managed to lure him back in 2023, the final year Theo Benedet was with the program. The timing of this is pretty wild. So many things had to happen for the young offensive lineman to hear those iconic Halas words.
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Then he happens to sign with the team Halas built. Football is an amazing sport sometimes. This story could end up becoming one of the best in recent Bears history if Benedet can play well enough to secure the job long-term.
