Ben Johnson Is About To Challenge A 35-Year Bears Curse —And How He Can Break It
The Chicago Bears drafted Jimbo Covert 6th overall in the 1983 NFL draft. He would go on to become a two-time All-Pro, anchoring one of the best offensive lines of the 1980s. He won a Super Bowl in 1985 and eventually found his way into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, his career was cut short by injuries, and he retired after the 1990 season. Since then, it feels as if the Bears have been cursed at the position. Despite numerous attempts to fix it over the past 35 years, they haven’t found much success, being forced to lean on surprise late round picks and veteran free agents for most of that time. Now Ben Johnson is about to take on that curse in the 2026 draft.
It isn’t a secret that the Bears’ head coach seeks stability at left tackle. It is why he tinkered with the position all season. Four different guys played there. Braxton Jones and Theo Benedet were benched. Ozzy Trapilo looked like he had a firm hold on the job, then tore his patellar tendon. Suddenly, the Bears have no definitive starter for next season. That puts Johnson in a tough spot. Does he find a temporary option until Trapilo returns despite the health concerns, or does he go for the long-term fix in the 1st round of the draft?
If it’s the latter, he stands in the face of some ugly history.
Ben Johnson must find out where the Bears went wrong in years past.
Since Covert retired, the franchise has selected a left tackle in the 1st round four times. All four of them flamed out to varying degrees.
| Name | Year | Result |
| Stan Thomas | 1991 | Gone after two seasons |
| Marc Colombo | 2002 | Hardly played due to a laundry list of injuries |
| Chris Williams | 2008 | Had a back injury before playing a down and was moved to guard |
| Gabe Carimi | 2011 | Suffered brutal knee injury two games into his career |
From the look of it, there was a combo of factors in play. Either the Bears selected guys who clearly weren’t equipped to play tackle in the NFL, or they picked ones with questionable durability. Thomas lacked the work ethic. Williams lacked the foot speed. Colombo and Carimi had vulnerable lower extremities. This is often why teams like drafting players with thick lower bodies.
Johnson has a good education on this front. He was with the Miami Dolphins when they drafted Jonathan Martin and Ja’Wuan James, two players who lacked the mental toughness to succeed in the pros. Then he watched them draft Laremy Tunsil, who went on to become a star. A few years later, he was with Detroit when they took Penei Sewell. Though a right tackle, his scouting reports told the story.
- A vocal leader at age 18.
- Great athlete
- Quick feet
- Huge from top to bottom
- Violent temperament
Johnson will have some interesting options.
Much depends on what Ben Johnson wants to prioritize. He’s said that pass protection is at the top of the list for his left tackle. They must be able to handle themselves one-on-one without constantly needing help. Based on early projections, there are two names to keep an eye on for the Bears at 25th overall. The first is Kadyn Proctor. A mammoth human being at 6’7, 366 lbs, he has surprisingly good feet for his size and anchors easily against bull rushers. The other is Monroe Freeling. He is much more the athlete, moving with grace and fluidity. Speed has no effect on him, and he is tailor-made for a zone-rushing scheme.
There is plenty of talk about edge rushers and defensive tackles. Both are needed, make no mistake. Still, it feels like Johnson is determined to get the left tackle fixed once and for all. Can he break the curse? Johnson has already done it so many times this past year with the Packers, quarterback, and even the full navy blue uniforms. If he can take this one down as well, the franchise will be equipped to dominate the NFC.