Ozzy Trapilo‘s return to the practice field is happening much sooner than the Chicago Bears could have expected.
Trapilo was activated from the physically unable to perform list Sunday – roughly seven months after suffering a ruptured patellar tendon during Chicago’s playoff victory over the Green Bay Packers.
The injury initially appeared likely to keep the second year offensive tackle out for most, if not all, of the 2026 season. Now, Trapilo is somehow already back on the field.
Sean Hammond reported that Trapilo participated in individual drills but did not take part in team work.
That distinction is important, but simply seeing Trapilo back at practice represents a massive development for the Bears.
Trapilo is WAY ahead of schedule
GettyBears LT Ozzy Trapilo
The Chicago Bears have been prepping to enter the 2026 season without Ozzy Trapilo.
After all, the Bears knew a return would take time. A patellar tendon injury is one of the more serious injuries an NFL player can suffer, particularly for an offensive lineman who has to consistently generate power through his lower body.
Yet Trapilo’s recovery has progressed much faster than expected…
Earlier this week, Bears general manager Ryan Poles said a training camp return was potentially still on the table. Poles emphasized that Trapilo would need padded practices to properly prepare himself for a return to game action and that the team was mapping out the recovery carefully.
It did not take long for that possibility to become reality.
Now Trapilo is not ready to jump straight into full team work, and the Bears should have no reason to rush him. But getting him back on the practice field is a big milestone for a player who was once expected to miss a large portion of the season.
Bears’ left tackle situation just got very interesting
GettyBears LT Ozzy Trapilo
Ozzy Trapilo’s return could have a major impact on one of Chicago Bears’ biggest position battles.
The Bears entered training camp trying to determine who would become their starting left tackle. Braxton Jones, Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills Jr. have been among the players competing for the job while Trapilo worked his way back.
That competition became even more important when Jones suffered a knee injury earlier this month. Now Trapilo has suddenly re-entered the picture.
Sure there is still a long way to go before Trapilo is ready for a regular season game. Individual drills are obviously different from taking live reps against an NFL defense, and the Bears need to make sure his knee is ready for the physical demands of football before putting him back into team work.
Still, this is exactly the kind of development Chicago wanted to see.
Trapilo’s return does not guarantee that he will be the Week 1 starter. It does give the Bears another reason to feel optimistic about the position, though.
For a Bears team with legitimate expectations entering the season, getting a talented young offensive tackle back into the mix could be an enormous boost.
And if Ozzy Trapilo continues progressing toward padded and eventually full team work, the Chicago Bears could have a much needed answer at left tackle waiting for them when the games start to count.
Bears Announce Remarkable Ozzy Trapilo News Ahead of Regular Season