The Chicago Bears seem to be in danger of not having one of their top offensive line starters available for Week 4’s next game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
According to the team’s injury report, Bears starting right tackle Darnell Wright did not participate in Wednesday’s first practice of the week because of an elbow injury that he sustained in Sunday’s 31-14 win over the Dallas Cowboys — a game he did not finish.
Wright had exited late in the second quarter against the Cowboys with apparent pain in his right elbow, eventually walking off into the locker room with a brace on his arm. He did not return for the rest of the game, leaving right tackle duties to Theo Benedet.
Afterward, Bears head coach Ben Johnson said that he did not believe that Wright’s elbow injury would be a long-term issue, but he added that they would likely not know much about his availability against the Raiders in Week 4 until the week of practice.
The Bears will likely wait to make their final decision on Wright’s status against the Raiders until they release their final injury report following Friday’s walkthrough.
The Bears (1-2) will travel to take on the Raiders (1-2) at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Darnell Wright Has Started 2025 Strong for Bears
The Bears still have two more practices to determine whether Wright will play against the Raiders, but it would be a significant loss for their offense if he were unable to suit up on Sunday, given how well he has played over the first three weeks of the season.
According to Pro Football Focus, Wright was a standout in pass protection over the first two games, allowing just one pressure (resulting in a sack) on 134 pass-blocking snaps and earning a second-among-all-tackles 90.1 pass-block grade from the analytics site.
He has also dominated for the run game, earning PFF’s best run-block grade of Week 2 behind only Philadelphia’s Jordan Mailata — a second-team All-Pro selection in 2024.
The biggest problem for Wright has been his staggering six penalties in three games. He has been flagged twice for false starts, twice for offensive holding, once for a chop block and once as an ineligible man downfield, committing an even two penalties per game. He even managed to draw two whistles in Week 3’s win, despite exiting before halftime.
Even still, Wright — the No. 10 overall pick in 2023 — has played near an All-Pro level in the first three games when deducting his penalties. Clean those up and he could finish out the year as the Bears‘ top offensive lineman, so long as his injury doesn’t derail him.
Can Bears Count on Theo Benedet & Ozzy Trapilo?
If Wright’s injury keeps him from playing against the Raiders, the Bears will tab either Theo Benedet or second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo to start at right tackle on Sunday.
Whether they can trust either one of them, though, remains a looming question mark.
Benedet, a 2024 undrafted rookie, unexpectedly claimed one of the backup tackle roles on the Bears‘ initial 53-man roster after impressing head coach Ben Johnson and his new coaching staff in training camp this past summer. Through three games, he has also been the Bears’ preferred choice at swing tackle, remaining active on the game-day roster while Trapilo and guard/tackle Kiran Amegadjie have been healthy scratches.
While Benedet has been solid when on the field, though, he has only played 27 snaps as either a rotational/fill-in lineman or an extra blocker lined up at tight end for the Bears‘ jumbo packages. At a certain point, the Bears might need to set him loose and see how he does with extended reps, but his lack of experience makes the decision a bit uneasy.
Alternatively, the Bears could ask Trapilo — the 56th overall pick in 2025 — to take over at right tackle if they rule out Wright against the Raiders. The Bears have shown a clear preference for Benedet thus far, but they have also expressed optimism that Trapilo will play meaningful snaps for them later on in his rookie season.
If the Bears feel Trapilo is ready to make that leap now, perhaps he will start instead.
Bears Get Concerning Injury News on Starter Ahead of Raiders Game