The Chicago Bears are left in a tough spot at the left tackle position thanks to an injury to Ozzy Trapilo. That's why they should sign a veteran left tackle who could instantly add an upgrade for Caleb Williams' blindside.
When it comes to the top goals for the Chicago Bears in 2026, protection quarterback Caleb Williams is at the top of the list.The Bears have a concern at left tackle because of the injury to Ozzy Trapilo, who may not play in 2026 following athis offseason, but Jones played bad enough to get benched in 2025 and Wills' career has been plagued by injury and ineffectiveness.
Former Detroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images"Decker not only provides a veteran presence, but he's also familiar with Ben Johnson from their days in Detroit," Rotman explained. "He wouldn't break the bank and could really stabilize the left side of the offensive line.Detroit Lions executive vice president and general manager Brad Holmes, left, and Lions head coach Dan Campbell. | Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images It's pretty simple: the Lions wanted Decker to take a pay cut after a down season in 2025 and the veteran left tackle did not feel the same way, which led to him, Decker was frustrated with the lack of communication from the team, which has pretty much made things personal and the veteran lineman believes the door is completely closed on a return to Detroit. Had his ending in Detroit gone better, it would be conceivable that Decker might not be keen on joining a division rival in free agency. But after reading Rogers' piece, all bets appear to be are off.It's true he had a down season in 2025, but Decker was still better than anyone the Bears have as left tackle options right now, and his Decker posted a 69.5 pass-blocking grade and 62.1 run-blocking grade while giving up two sacks and 33 pressures in 894 offensive snaps.Beyond just the improvement at left tackle, Decker offers a proven veteran leader who is also familiar with head coach Ben Johnson's offense after playing under him in Detroit. It's really a seamless fit.The biggest roadblock to a Decker signing is the money.for Decker. That's probably too high considering the stage of free agency we're currently in, but he's still going to be expensive. General manager Ryan Poles must do whatever he can to make a signing like this work, as Decker would provide a huge boost to the offense and the Bears can stick it to a division rival in the process.Mike Moraitis is a freelance writer who has covered the NFL for major outlets such as Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News. He has previously written for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and FanSided, and got his start in sports media at Bleacher Report.
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