The Chicago Bears made a surprising move earlier this week when they agreed to terms with offensive tackle Braxton Jones. Before Ozzy Trapilo’s 2026 future was in doubt due to a torn patellar tendon, Jones figured to be on the way out after an injury-plagued and disappointing performance last season. However, after an eleventh-hour agreement, it appeared Jones would have an outside chance at the starting job, battling with incumbent Theo Benedet.
One day later, it appears that Chicago isn't planning to make it that easy on Jones.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bears are signing former Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. to a one-year deal. The move likely triggers a left tackle competition that will involve Trapilo, Benedet, and Willis Jr. this offseason and could make the return of Jones a little more hectic than he anticipated, as he not only battles for a starting job but also a roster spot entering next season.
Braxton Jones Will Fight for Roster Spot After Bears’ Jedrick Wills Jr. Signing
Jones' return was a safe option for the Bears, given the injury issues they are facing at the left tackle position. After missing the 2025 offseason program while recovering from an ankle injury, Jones suffered a knee injury in a Week 4 win over the Las Vegas Raiders that kept him out for the remainder of the regular season. While it was a rough performance, Jones had posted a Pro Football Focus grade above 68.8 in each of his first three seasons and even earned a pass-blocking grade of 80.8 before an injury shortened his 2024 season, limiting him to 12 games.
With a career 7.7 percent pressure rate, it was a solid baseline for Jones to battle Benedet, with the winner holding down the job until Trapilo was ready to return. But adding Wills Jr. to the equation places another hurdle in Jones' path he'll have to overcome.
Wills Jr. missed the entire 2025 season as he recovered from an MCL injury, which he initially suffered during the 2023 campaign. While Wills Jr. hit the market one year ago, he decided to take a sabbatical to focus on a return to full health and has now chosen Chicago as the spot he will rehab his career.
The No. 10 overall pick by the Browns in the 2020 draft, Wills Jr. had a similar career path in Cleveland to the one Jones has had in Chicago. While he’s been prone to allowing sacks (21 in his career), he posted a 6.4 percent pressure rate, including a 5.8 percent pressure rate in his first three seasons, per Pro Football Focus. If he wins the job during his age-27 season with the Bears, he could be on the way to another big contract as he enters the prime of his career.
This is bad news for Jones. If Jones can win the competition, he could be on a similar path to the one Wills is seeking. But Wills Jr. knows this could be one of his last opportunities in the NFL, leaving a motivated challenger to take the left tackle spot. With the possibility of Benedet also rising to the challenge, Jones has an uphill battle to make the team, which could leave him on the sidelines as the 2026 season begins.
With everything considered, this is likely not what Jones signed up for when he agreed to return to Chicago, and it could lead him to an important offseason in 2027 that will determine his long-term fate.