When the Chicago Bears open training camp, their most crucial position battle will be at left tackle. Early in in the offseason, rookie Ozzy Trapilo has done everything in his power to prove why he deserves to be the Week 1 starter.
Still, the competition is far from concluded. Kiran Amegadjie is still in the race, and incumbent starter Braxton Jones has yet to practice due to his ankle injury. Furthermore, the Bears haven’t worn pads yet or been in a live game situation.
But Trapilo is well aware of the challenge ahead of him. He says he has gained a better understanding of the speed of the game at the NFL level through OTAs and minicamp. Now, Trapilo is looking to capitalize on his opportunity and put together a strong showing at training camp, via the team’s Tuesday press conference on X, formerly Twitter.
“It’s a really great opportunity,” Trapilo said of working with the starters. “This is the perfect time for the coaches to do it, rotate guys in. They’re really just doing their best to get guys looks, get a feeling for it all. I’m going out there every opportunity I get, trying to make the most of it. It’s really beneficial to work next to guys who have played in this league.”
“Camp is very soon on the horizon,” he continued. “You can’t take that lightly, take a bunch of time off and relax. It’s go time.”
.@OzzyTrapilo is talking at the podium https://t.co/sLaDlxxjWi
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) June 10, 2025
Ozzy Trapilo slides over to left tackle
Trapilo spent his final two years at Boston College playing right tackle, even earning First-team All-ACC honors in 2024. However, with Darnell Wright being entrenched at the position for the past two seasons, head coach Ben Johnson and company have yet to move him. Trapilo doesn’t mind though, as playing on the left side forces him out of bad habits.
“It went well,” Trapilo said. “With new technique, it’s a little easier I’d say. I don’t go flow state like I’d do on the right side. I kind of just get in those habits, whatever I’ve been taught for so long. On that sort of foreign side, you’re really able to hone in on the minor differences that these coaches want to see. There are definitely benefits in that.”
Overall, Trapilo is trying to hone in on what Chicago’s coaching staff is asking for. He sees the similarities from college, but is undergoing a few technique tweaks. Getting so much time to work in the Bears’ system, Trapilo is seeing the power of repetition come into play. Still, the offensive tackle understands he has a long way to go before becoming a stalwart on the offensive line.
“That’ll always be the case,” Trapilo said of constantly improving. “With the stuff the coaches are trying to teach, there will always be room for improvement. I’m just going to try and get overall better, especially in these next few weeks heading into camp.”
“The coaches have done a really good job in terms of the installation,” he continued. “A lot of it is similar to college football, football is football at the end of the day, different words, different lingo, slightly different technique, but it’s all the same in essence.”
Chicago Bears competition, not enemies
As Trapilo battles for the starting role, Amegadjie and Jones will be hot on his tail. However, all three have been supporting each other throughout the offseason. Trapilo said that extends through the entire offseason, which has quickly become a close-knit group.
“They’re both fantastic guys,” Trapilo said. “Very helpful, the whole O-line is really incredible. Coming in, you don’t know how it’s going to be. Everyone is such a good guy, you have a question, they’ll go out of their way to help you from top to bottom. I know that’s for the entire room as well as the tackle position. I’ve been really happy about that.”
In OTAs and minicamp, the Bears had Amegadjie and Trapilo trade off who would work with the starters that day. One Jones gets into the mix, that could get a little tricky. At the same time though, things get serious during training camp. If one of the three isn’t up to par, they’ll quickly fade away in the competition.
Trapilo is hoping to prove that won’t be him. After an impressive transition onto the left side, the rookie now knows what he must do to win the battle.
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