Inserting my openWRT router between ISP's ONT and router *transparently*

Someone asked a similar question the other day. I think you were a poster in that thread too.

This Wiki entry seems to imply it's possible: but it's unclear that it's actually referring to the ISP device:

See: https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/network/wan/bridge-mode#half_bridge

I provided an option; but it would work in their authentication use case.