It may have taken 12 games, but the Chicago Bears may have finally sorted out their left tackle position. What began as Braxton Jones’s job turned into a competition with rookie Ozzy Trapilo. When Trapilo fumbled the job back to Jones during training camp, Theo Benedet inserted his way into the equation and started seven games on the blindside.
While the Bears have had a carousel at left tackle, it may finally be coming to a stop. Trapilo was brilliant in his first career start, allowing just one pressure and posting an 87.4 pass blocking grade on 37 snaps according to Pro Football Focus. Benedet may have been pushed to a reserve role due to Trapillo’s performance, but he brings enough as a run blocker to stay involved.
These developments are bad news for Jones, who is currently on injured reserve with a knee injury, and serve as mounting evidence that the Bears should move on at the end of this season.
Former Bears Starter Braxton Jones Likely Done in Chicago After Losing LT Job For Good
A three-year starter entering this season, Jones had earned the right to be the favorite to win the left tackle job. While he posted solid PFF grades of 75.4, 68.8, and 77.4 in his first three seasons, he was also prone to catastrophic plays with 14 sacks over 1,338 pass-blocking snaps.
The turning point came toward the end of last season when he suffered a season-ending ankle injury, and the recovery was projected to linger all the way to training camp.
With Jones’s status in question, the Bears took Trapilo in the second round of April’s draft, and the rookie jumped in front after what offensive coordinator Declan Doyle dubbed “The King of the Mountain” practice. While Jones eventually won the job, it had more to do with Trapilo regressing during the preseason, and the results showed when the regular season began.
Jones allowed 13 total pressures and two sacks in his first two games of the season, and by the time he stabilized his performance, he was benched in favor of Benedet in the Week 4 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Jones hasn’t seen the field since and is rehabbing from his latest knee injury, which opened the door for Benedet and Trapilo to jump him on the depth chart.
Entering the final year of his rookie contract, this is reason enough for Jones to leave Chicago next spring. But if the Bears are thinking about holding on for another year, the financial implications should be enough to push him out the door.
Last year’s free agent market saw reserve tackle Jaylon Moore get two years and $30 million from the Kansas City Chiefs, and Cam Robinson got a one-year, $12 million contract from the Houston Texans midseason.
Even if Jones can’t command a high-end salary, the Bears wouldn’t be making a wise decision giving Jones $4 million next year when Trapilo is seizing the starting job, and Benedet can serve a complementary/backup role.
Put everything together, and Jones should be wearing a different uniform next year, allowing the Bears to feel comfortable about their left tackle position in 2026.