Ozzy Trapilo is much closer to Bears return than anyone expected

"We talked about platooning him just a little bit there with Theo, just to keep him fresh late in games," Johnson said.

We've moved past the point of Trapilo being healthy enough to practice. Now, Chicago is beginning to think about how he fits on game day.

The Bears currently start Braxton Jones at left tackle with Benedet behind him. But Trapilo's upside could give Johnson an even better option as his workload increases.

Trapilo's return matters even more with quarterback uncertainty

Protecting Caleb Williams is always important. Protecting Case Keenum or Tyson Bagent may be even more critical.

If Chicago starts a backup Monday night, the offensive line cannot afford the kind of negative plays that destroy drives. And Keenum doesn't provide Williams' escape ability. Nowhere close, actually.

That places even more emphasis on keeping the pocket clean and creating a dependable running game.

Trapilo won't solve every problem on his own. But adding another legitimate tackle option makes the line deeper, at the very least. At best, he's a big improvement in the starting lineup.

Trapilo's return is ahead of expectations

The larger story is simply that Trapilo has reached this point at all. The knee injury he suffered in January was expected to jeopardize his entire second NFL season. Instead, he's practicing fully in September.

Johnson said Trapilo is still gaining confidence in putting his full weight on the knee but indicated his return to game action isn't far away.

For a young player whose development could easily have been derailed by losing an entire season, that's a huge win.

Bears could soon have an interesting decision coming at left tackle

Chicago doesn't need to rush Trapilo back to the field. And that's especially true if Jones can play better.

But the Bears drafted him in the second round for a reason. They viewed him as a significant piece of their offensive-line future. His recovery has gone well enough that that future might arrive considerably earlier than expected.

Chicago's injury news has been overwhelmingly negative this week. Thankfully, Trapilo is the exception. If his progress continues, the Bears' offensive line could get a boost soon.