The Bears are making a change at their left tackle spot.
Bears' Ben Johnson announces major change to Caleb Williams' blindside protection originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The are coming out of their early Week 5 bye and face the for their rematch from 2024's Hail Mary loss.
While the Bears are looking like a much better team under new head coach Ben Johnson through the early part of the season, there is still plenty of improvement to be made. And ahead of their Week 6 matchup, the Bears are already making a significant change.
According to Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com, Ben Johnson announced that the Bears are making a change to their blindside protection for Caleb Williams, replacing Braxton Jones at left tackle with undrafted free agent Theo Benedet.
Bears announce left tackle change for Week 6
"Theo Benedet will replace Braxton Jones at left tackle, coach Ben Johnson announced on Saturday." Cronin writes, "It will be the second straight start for Benedet, the former undrafted free agent who is in his second season with Chicago."
This move comes following the Bears' bye week, and right before their Week 6 rematch against the Commanders and Jayden Daniels. Benedet has been in Chicago for two years now, but is finally getting a chance to start along the offensive line this season.
An undrafted free agent out of British Columbia in Canada, Benedet is getting his second straight start in the NFL after filling in for Darnell Wright against the in Week 4.
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In his first NFL start, he allowed three pressures according to PFF, and also had a poor 36.6 pass blocking grade. While he played 28 snaps at right tackle and 40 at left tackle, Benedet is now slated to start at left tackle full-time for the Bears in Week 6.
Jones, this season, has allowed a team-high 15 pressures according to PFF, and has also allowed two sacks, the most on the team. The former fifth-rounder, who's started for the Bears since being drafted in 2022, is seeing his starting job taken by Benedet coming out of the bye week.
Williams is getting a new blindside protector, as the Bears are reshuffling their offensive line just five games into the regular season.
The Bears are shaking things up with this move, hoping to find better pass protection for their franchise quarterback as they look to make it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
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