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The Bears' Most Underrated Free Agency Move Was Keeping One of Their Own

Sometimes the best thing for an NFL team to do is to keep its own players for another year.
Pete Martuneac|
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Chicago Bears

Unlike the 2025 NFL offseason, when the Chicago Bears swung a massive trade for Joe Thuney and made Drew Dalman one of the highest-paid centers in the NFL, the Bears did not make any huge free agency additions in 2026. In fact, one of the major takeaways from the Bears' first wave of free agency was that general manager Ryan Poles had apparently learned not to panic and overpay, not even on positions of need.

That's not to say the Bears didn't make any important moves. Their $40 million agreement with safety Coby Bryant was widely praised, as was the signing of linebacker Devin Bush. But one of their best free agency moves that has flown under the radar was re-signing Braxton Jones to a one-year contract worth up to $10 million.

A healthy Braxton Jones is the Bears' best hope for 2026

Lost amid the euphoric celebrations following the Bears' triumphant Wild Card victory over the Green Bay Packers was the fact that standout rookie left tackle Ozzy Trapilo suffered a devastating injury. On the Bears' final offensive drive, he ruptured his patellar tendon, a significant injury that will likely keep him sidelined well into the 2026 season. Suddenly, a position that seemed secure for the next ten years became a major concern.

With quarterback Caleb Williams expected to take another leap forward in his development, the last thing the Bears could afford is a leak in the offensive line. Trusting a rookie to step in and immediately play at a high level would be a risky proposition, so a plausible answer had to be found in free agency. Luckily for Chicago, that answer was already in the building.

Before a major injury of his own at the end of the 2024 season, Braxton Jones was a reliable, above-average offensive tackle. In fact, his 77.4 PFF grade that year was the 20th-best score out of all offensive tackles. Jones may have struggled early in 2025, but he was not yet 100% and had missed most of training camp as he rehabbed his knee. Head coach Ben Johnson himself acknowledged that Jones' performance last year is not a fair representation of the kind of player he is.

He may not be a Pro Bowl-caliber talent, but when healthy, Jones is a dependable blocker that the Bears can rely on in 2026. He'll keep the left side of the offensive line from turning into a liability, and it won't cost the Bears a penny over $10 million against the salary cap.

The Bottom Line

The Bears also signed former first-round pick Jedrick Wills Jr. to compete for the starting left tackle spot, but I expect him to lose that training camp battle and serve as a good depth piece. Bringing back Jones was the logical thing to do, and Ryan Poles pulled it off with an affordable deal. By shoring up a critical position on the offensive line with a cheap contract for a guy who is already familiar with the offense, this signing gets an 'A' grade from me, and goes down as Chicago's most underrated free agency move.

Braxton Jone
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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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