Left tackle might have been the Chicago Bears’ most important position battle in their preseason opener at Soldier Field on Saturday, as Kiran Amegadjie split reps with Jedrick Wills Jr.
Maybe they were battling for a consolation prize, since it seems likely that Braxton Jones will be the starter if he’s healthy. On Saturday, he wasn’t, but Bears coach Ben Johnson said he expects Jones back soon, maybe next week.
The Bears had high hopes for Amegadjie, a 6-foot-5, 326-pound Hinsdale Central graduate, when they selected him out of Yale in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft. So far, there have been just two games in which he has seen significant snaps, and both came during his rookie season. He essentially missed all of last season with an elbow injury that landed him on injured reserve.
“Haven’t played football in almost a year now,” Amegadjie said. “So it was good to get my feet back under me and get some reps in. There’s obviously things to clean up and a couple plays I want back.
“I’m healthy, which is a big thing, and I’m able to stay on the field. When I’m able to stay on the field, that’s how I know I can get better. I believe in myself and my ability.”
Cleveland used its starters for one series in the Bears’ 34-10 win, so Amegadjie got three plays against defensive end Jared Verse, whom the Browns got from the Rams in the Myles Garrett trade. After two series, Wills took over and gave up a sack to Cleveland backup edge Julian Okwara. Amegadjie also let Okwara slip past him in the first half, but Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent managed to avoid the sack that time.
“I felt like our quarterback got hit more than I would like,” Johnson said. “Tyson certainly did in the first half. (Left tackle) is a hard one for me to assess right now. Sometimes that trench play, you’ve got to take a look at that lens from behind and really be able to take a look at it.”
Amegadjie came back for a successful two-minute drill late in the second quarter and saw plenty of reps in the second half. The results were similar to how his pro career has gone — nothing special, really, but still offering hope for future development.
“I think in the run game, I’m physical, I move people,” Amegadjie said. “The pass game is where I need to improve. I need to improve my set and be consistent.
“Honestly, all of it is technique-based. It’s a little frustrating. But it’s also like if I could just get that little piece, then I’ll be playing at a consistent level the way I want to be.”
The famous story about Amegadjie is that a year before he was drafted, his father, Boris, was playing golf at Kemper Lakes in Kildeer and ran into Matt Eberflus, who was the Bears coach at the time. Amegadjie’s father called him and told him to get to the golf course, and he got to meet his future coach.
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It was a long jump from the Ivy League to the NFL, but Amegadjie is confident about his abilities.
“I wouldn’t say it has anything to do with where I went to school,” he said. “I think it’s just how I am, who I am. I believe in myself, and I know that whatever I set my mind to, I can do it.
“Everybody has a different path in the NFL. Mine has been rocky so far. But I get up every day, and I’m excited to go in the building. I’m excited to get to work. I’m excited to get better.”