The Chicago Bears aren’t slowing down in the final week of the 2025 NFL regular season, with head coach Ben Johnson announcing earlier in the week that he has no plans on resting the starters vs. the Detroit Lions.
The Bears are in contention for either the No. 2 seed or No. 3 seed in the NFC playoff race and will host either the Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams, or San Francisco 49ers.
Is there a specific team that Chicago would rather face off against? That’s TBD, however, the Bears’ chances of securing a win against Detroit won’t be easy, especially after the recent news that starting left tackle Ozzy Trapilo will be inactive with a knee and quad injury.
Bears’ Left Tackle Ozzy Trapilo Out vs. Lions
Trapilo has risen from backup tackle to a key starter on the left side of the Bears’ impressive offensive line. In his rookie year, Trapilo appeared in 14 games and allowed only two sacks.
That’s extremely impressive for the rook, considering he had to block the likes of T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett, and Micah Parsons, just to name a few of the many talented pass rushers Trapilo was assigned to block.
The Bears will now likely plug Theo Benedet back into the starting lineup at left tackle, where he started from Week 4 through Week 11.
Lions Also Set to Be Without Key Starters
Luckily for the Bears, the Lions aren’t heading into this matchup at full strength either.
Detroit released its final injury report for the game, and three key players are out: linebacker Alex Anzalone (Concussion/Personal), defensive tackle Alim McNeill (Abdomen), and offensive tackle Penei Sewell (Ankle).
Arguably the best player on the Lions, Sewell has been playing at an extremely high level not just this season, but for the past several seasons in Detroit. With the Bears having a weaker defensive line, they have a golden opportunity to get after Jared Goff.
Here’s the full list of inactive players for both the Bears and Lions:
Chicago:
- QB Case Keenum
- DB Nick McCloud
- OL Ozzy Trapilo
- WR Rome Odunze
- LB Ruben Hyppolite II
- DL Joe Tryon-Shoyinka
Detroit:
- LB Alex Anzalone
- OL Kayode Awosika
- S Thomas Harper
- WR Dominic Lovett
- DL Alim McNeill
- OL Penei Sewell
Johnson didn’t hold back when talking about the matchup against his former team.
“They’re going to come out here and they’re going to fight,” Johnson told reporters. “I mean, it’s what they do. It’s going to be a good good challenge for us. It’s a very good team. I mean, this group has talent all over the place.”
Even with Trapilo and other key players not playing, the Bears have a serious shot of ending the season with an impressive 12-5 record.
Bears’ Key Offensive Line Starter Set to Miss Contest vs. Lions