The Bears enter a bye at 2-2 with a pivotal left-tackle decision looming. Braxton Jones started there, but Theo Benedet slid to left and looked solid, backed by Ozzy Trapilo at right tackle. The line’s best run-protection day came with the shuffle, and Chicago will study four games to decide the job ahead of Week 6 versus Washington. Wright’s elbow injury adds a variable that could keep Benedet in the lineup if the staff sticks with the current look for now.

For fantasy managers, protection, pocket timing, and run lanes will drive QB and receiver outputs. If Benedet holds the job, Fields could see steadier pressure and cleaner progression, boosting passing efficiency and weapon usage. Jones might become a versatile depth option, while Wright’s return will test the continuity of the rebuilt unit.

Caleb Williams steered Chicago through heavy pressure en route to a late-game scoring drive that preserved a Week 4 win over Las Vegas, even with Wright out and protection thin. Rome Odunze has four straight games with a score and is on pace for ~1,200 receiving yards, keeping the Bears in the fantasy spotlight. Tyrique Stevenson has blossomed, delivering a crucial third-quarter pick as Kevin Byard III patrols the secondary and Joe Thuney stabilizes the line, shaping a potential breakthrough run once the left tackle debate between Braxton Jones and Theo Benedet is settled during the bye.

Chicago escaped Las Vegas 25-24, but the bye week exposes big issues: an NFL-worst 6.2 yards per carry allowed and a stalled rushing attack; Williams rallied late, but the rhythm remains unsettled.

Return of Jarrett, Edwards and Gordon could lift the defense, while a left-tackle decision between Braxton Jones and Theo Benedet looms. Better protection and a steadier ground game are needed to unlock Williams' ceiling.

Theo Benedet, a 23-year-old Toronto native who spent last year on the Bears’ practice squad, steps into the starting lineup to face Las Vegas and Maxx Crosby. Undrafted and injury-stunted in preseason, Benedet has climbed back with steady camp reps and late-season play. He’s confident, prepared, and embracing the challenge of Crosby’s first-step explosiveness while the Bears push to stabilize a struggling run game.

Chicago is leaning on a unified line approach, stressing that the unit must operate as 11 since Benedet’s appearance marks a broader shift in protection and run design. The plan isn’t just about one man; it’s about a total-team effort to slow Crosby, maintain tempo, and build momentum for a Bears offense that hopes Benedet’s emergence sparks a rebound behind Wright, Jones, and the rest of the line.