Former O-Lineman AQ Shipley Reveals What Bears Should Do At Left Tackle
AQ Shipley played offensive line in the NFL for over a decade. He experienced the full gamut during his career, from the lowest of lows as a practice squad guy to helping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win the Super Bowl in 2020. The guy played with many great offensive linemen in his career, and has continued evaluating them as an analyst since retiring. He’s kept close tabs on the Chicago Bears over the past year, noting how improved their offensive line has been under head coach Ben Johnson and his staff.
There is one exception.
The Bears have a glaring issue at left tackle. Four different guys started at that position last season. Two were benched for insufficient play, and another suffered a season-ending knee injury. Now the Bears are left with a tough decision on what to do. CHGO met with Shipley and asked him about it. They presented multiple courses of action, including keeping Joe Thuney at the spot after starting there in the playoff loss to Los Angeles, or moving Darnell Wright from the right side. Shipley doesn’t think the Bears need to be that drastic.
Their course is somewhat simple from his vantage point.
AQ Shipley doesn’t think a rookie would make the Bears better.
Even if they’re drafted in the 1st round. Tackles take time to learn the game. There are always struggles to work through. Also, the Bears aren’t picking in the top 10. Any tackle they take at 25th overall isn’t likely to be day one starter material. Besides, Ozzy Trapilo was playing well before his injury. Good enough to give him time to return and pick up where he left off. That means the Bears must find somebody who will probably start 6-8 games next season. Their list of options isn’t ideal, but there are some interesting possibilities.
| Name | Games started | Projected cost |
| Braxton Jones | 44 | $4.8 million per year |
| D.J. Humphries | 101 | $1 million per year |
| Cam Robinson | 114 | $13.1 million per year |
| Yosh Nijman | 29 | $1 million per year |
The easiest solution for the Bears would be just retaining Braxton Jones. They already know what he can do, the coaches like him, and he should finally be healthy after multiple injury setbacks. Robinson has played with several teams over the past few years. While he isn’t a world-beater, is a reliable veteran who can perform at a solid level when used correctly. Nijman is familiar with the type of offense the Bears run, having worked in a similar one in Green Bay. Humphries was a former Pro Bowler but has been stuck as a backup for two years after a knee injury pushed him out of Arizona.
The Bears aren’t likely to get creative at left tackle.
Everything heard from inside Halas Hall to this point indicates they like Trapilo. They drafted him for a reason. While he still has work to do once he returns, the team isn’t going to move away from the 2nd round pick so quickly. That means the job is finding somebody they can rely on for a couple of months until he’s cleared to return. Early expectations lean toward retaining Jones. He’s still on the younger side, knows the offense, and won’t be expensive to keep unless another team really wants him.
What AQ Shipley said is true. In situations like this, the simplest solution is often the best. Sign a veteran with proven experience and make the best of it. Once you’re confident, Trapilo is ready to return, make the switch. Leave everybody else where they are. Keep as much continuity as possible. This will allow the team to keep their offseason focus elsewhere, particularly on defense, where they need an infusion of talent from front to back.