Bears Left Tackle Battle May Already Be Leaning One Way After New Hint

Bears coach Dan Roushar hinted Braxton Jones has an edge in Chicago's left tackle battle, putting fresh pressure on the rest of the competition this summer.

Chicago Bears offensive lineman Braxton Jones. | David Banks-Imagn Images

While a ton of attention has been on the defensive side of the ball for the Chicago Bears this offseason, there is still a major position left unsettled on offense: left tackle.

That wouldn't be the case if Ozzy Trapilo didn't tear his patellar tendon during last season's playoffs, but that is the harsh reality for the 2025 draft pick who emerged as the team's starter during his first year in the NFL.

Now, the Bears are set to have a competition to take Trapilo's spot, with Braxton Jones, Theo Benedet, Jedrick Wills and Kiran Amegadjie's all expected to get involved.

The belief has been that Jones is the favorite for the job because of the lackluster competition and Jones' experience, and while he did not outright say that, offensive line coach Dan Roushar hinted as much.

“I don’t think anybody goes in as the lead,” he said, according to Phil Thompson and Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune. “We certainly put value in the veteran, in Braxton. So we’ll let that thing play out.”

Again, this was the expectation, if for no other reason than Jones is not up against very stiff competition.

Amegadjie has just six games and 125 career snaps under his belt and did not play at all last season as he appeared to land himself in the dog house.

Wills' career has been a massive disappointment since he was a top-10 pick in 2020 and he hasn't taken the field since 2024 after undergoing a significant knee procedure last year.

Benedet saw playing time at left tackle last season, but the results were not exactly inspiring, as he surrendered two sacks and 26 pressures in 333 pass-block snaps, which was good enough to earn him a Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade of 55.4.

Jones' 2025 downfall

Chicago Bears offensive tackle Braxton Jones. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Jones was never elite by any stretch, but he once looked like he would at least be a starting offensive lineman for a long time to come.

However, things went off the rails for him in 2025, when he gave up two sacks and 15 pressures in just 136 pass-blocking snaps. The result was the Bears pulling the plug on him as a starter and turning to Trapilo.

"It was a big learning moment for me … just putting that chip back on my shoulder and also checking myself for where I was and what I need to be better at," Jones said of his benching.

"Looking back at it now, I wouldn't say I'm happy about it. But I've learned a lot from it and I've grown from it and I've realized maybe that's something that needed to happen for me to boost my career again," Jones added.

Optimism for Jones in 2026

Chicago Bears offensive tackle Braxton Jones. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

One reason for hope Jones can rebound is he'll be a full season removed from his broken fibula, so he might look more like the player we saw over his first three years in the NFL.

And that's something Bears head coach Ben Johnson seems to believe, also. Johnson also noted Jones is in great shape, saying the veteran left tackle is "yoked up."

“I don’t think what he put on tape early last season was reflective of what he’s capable of, especially coming off that prior injury," Johnson explained. "We felt like there was more there than what we saw. Now, he looks like a completely different guy physically, and he’s determined to get back to that trajectory.”

Jones has a golden opportunity in front of him. If he can win the starting job and rebound in 2026, he'll set himself up for a nice payday in 2027.