The Chicago Bears went into the NFL offseason knowing they had a big problem at left tackle. Ozzy Trapilo, their planned solution for the position, tore his patellar tendon in the playoffs. His recovery process will be a long one, most likely eating up the entire 2026 season. That means Bears general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson would need to find a solution. Initial expectations were that they might just decide to bring back Braxton Jones. He was finally healthy after his issue last year and could serve as a decent bridge for a year. Sure enough, the team re-signed him before free agency began. However, an unexpected twist soon followed. The team also brought aboard Jedrick Wills.
The former Cleveland Browns starter had been the 10th overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. Many saw him as the second coming of Jason Peters after a stellar run with Alabama in college. However, after an uneven first couple of seasons, Wills’ career was derailed by a severe knee injury that forced him to miss most of 2024 and all of 2025. Some wonder why the Bears would take a chance on him. An NFL executive told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune that it stemmed from how well he fits this offense.
One pro personnel director, reviewing his evaluation of Wills in 2024, noted he moved in space well, which makes him a potential fit for Ben Johnson’s offense, but said he struggled at times in pass pro and could be overpowered.
Maybe it’s a long shot Wills will work his way back into the player with traits that made him the second tackle selected in 2020, three spots ahead of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Tristan Wirfs. But putting Wills with offensive line coach Dan Roushar and assistant Kyle DeVan is worth a shot for the Bears.
“He’s a guy that we want Dan and Kyle to lean into,” Poles said. “We have phenomenal offensive line coaches, two really good ones that do a fantastic job developing players. They’re going to lean into Jedrick, spend time with him. We think there is a connection there between our coaches and him.
“He’s willing to put in the work. We have an unbelievable performance staff that’s going to help him get his body right so he can compete at high level.”
Jedrick Wills may finally be in a position to succeed.
Part of the problem with his time in Cleveland was that he ended up in a situation that may never have suited him. In the first two years with the Browns, they ran an offense similar to what you see in San Francisco and Los Angeles, with an outside-zone rushing attack. His mix of power and mobility was tailor-made for that. However, everything changed in 2022 when Cleveland traded for quarterback Deshaun Watson. Head coach Kevin Stefanski was forced to switch from a run-heavy scheme to a spread offense with frequent shotgun formations. That put a ton of pressure on Wills in pass protection, resulting in the worst season of his career.
There will be no such issues in Chicago. The Bears under Ben Johnson ran the ball the 5th-most times in the league last season. Their primary mode of attack was outside-zone, utilizing their athletic offensive line to create space for their running backs. It would be a return to what Jedrick Wills played during his first two seasons, easily his two best. Besides, Johnson is no stranger to working with blockers with perceived anchor issues. Drew Dalman suffered the same problems at center. He made the Pro Bowl anyway.
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Johnson is no stranger to reclamation projects.
During his stint as Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, the team brought aboard Graham Glasgow in 2023. He’d been a 3rd round pick for the team in 2016 but hadn’t achieved his potential. After leaving for a stint in Denver, he returned at age 31, hoping for another chance. He ended up playing two of the best seasons of his career, helping the Lions reach the NFC Championship that first year and go 15-2 the next. Glasgow always had limitations. With Wills, it could be a different story.
He is an elite athlete for his position. The issue was never talent. Experts always felt the only obstacle between him and success was his fundamentals. If he could clean up his mental mistakes and sharpen his technique, he could block anybody. If any coach is equipped to get him there, it’s Johnson. Wills sounds prepared to compete. If he didn’t love football as some have said, he would’ve just retired after that knee injury a few years ago. His decision to join the Bears for the minimum salary says he has something to prove.
