By far the biggest surprise of Chicago Bears training camp this year was the ascent of Theo Benedet. People must understand the former undrafted free agent out of British Columbia was a non-factor to start training camp. Nobody expected him to influence the competition at left tackle in any way. He was a camp body. That is why it was a genuine shock when head coach Ben Johnson inserted him into the battle midway through training camp. Apparently, he'd impressed so much that the coaches couldn't justify holding him back any longer.
Two months later, Benedet is set to make his first start as an NFL left tackle, replacing Braxton Jones. We finally got some new details that explain why Johnson gravitated to the second-year blocker so quickly. Adam Jahns of CHGO did an in-depth column on him. It began with what Johnson and offensive line coach Dan Roushar observed during his preparation.
“I would say that the first thing that we saw was tremendous effort,” Roushar said. “We saw a physicality, a competitiveness, and it was daily. It was consistent over and over and over, and it just continued to impress us.
“And then we saw his play in the preseason, whether it was training camp or in the games, and we felt like, ‘Man, this guy’s really starting to ascend.’ In fact, we felt like maybe a little bit ahead of the curve with what we had expected and it’s just continued to improve. He’s a really hard worker. He’s a smart guy.”
Johnson is a stickler for details.
He wants everything done correctly. It would make sense that he'd like players who appreciate such things. From comments made by Benedet, you can see that.
“Everything has to be so precise in the pros and down here in terms of footwork,” Benedet said. “It’s the difference between your step being two inches or four inches (which) could win or lose the block. Pass pro, my posture was a big issue last year. I was too often over my toes, not with a good base. And I mean, that’s still a work in progress for me, but it’s certainly improved.”
Theo Benedet appreciates the complexity of the NFL level.
He openly admitted that he probably wouldn't have made it this far if he had jumped south of the border sooner than he did. Theo Benedet didn't fully embrace playing offensive line from the start. He spent all of high school and even his first year of college trying to make a go of it at tight end. However, it became immediately apparent that he had a gift for offensive line play. Once he grasped that reality, he attacked it with full force. He was smart enough to know he wasn't polished enough to impress NFL teams in 2023, so he stayed in school another year. That is how he ended up crushing the East-West All-Star game last year and earned a contract with the Bears.
Who knows. If he'd stayed healthy last year, he might've seen the field sooner. Whatever the case, Johnson didn't need long to recognize the qualities Benedet had. Major college programs in the U.S. were interested in him. They saw the possibilities. Perhaps it is fortunate he chose to stay in Canada. Chicago may not have landed him otherwise.
