Heading into the 2025 season, Chicago Bears fans were hoping that former fifth-round pick Braxton Jones would solidify himself as the team’s starting left tackle. However, that hasn't been the case as he's gone from a potential contract extension candidate to a lower-tier free agent signing.
Jones missed some time due to injury in 2023 and 2024 and was looking to show the fan base and new head coach Ben Johnson that he was ready to compete. It wasn’t easy for Jones, who got pushed in an open competition this summer.
Jones came away victorious, but ultimately it did not matter in the long run. Jones’ play was horrible through the first four weeks of the season. According to Pro Football Focus, he had a 61.7 pass blocking grade and a 47.2 run-blocking grade, while also allowing 15 pressures and two sacks.
Eventually, things took a turn for the worse for the veteran lineman, who was benched in Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Jones was replaced by Theo Benedet, who hadn’t played in an NFL regular-season game before. Since that moment, Jones has not seen the field, and for all intents and purposes, he won’t be back next season after being placed on injured reserve last month with a knee injury.
Braxton Jones Has Put Himself in a Tough Spot with Poor Play in 2025
Needless to say, it will be interesting to see what Jones’ market will look like this offseason, as the Bears are better off trying to develop Benedet and Ozzy Trapilo at left tackle. Trapilo was taken in the second round of this past year’s draft, and fans have wondered why he wasn’t given the first crack at left tackle.
If Jones had bad luck with injuries, but his play on the offensive line was average at best, some teams might be willing to take a flier on a 25-year-old tackle on a two-year deal to compete for a starting job.
However, that isn’t the case for Jones, whose play has nosedived this season after playing well in 2024, despite missing time due to multiple injuries. Last season, Jones posted a career-best 80.8 pass blocking grade even though he gave up 26 pressures and five sacks, per PFF.
It's not impossible to think that he can’t get back to that level, but it won’t happen in Chicago.
Looking at the upcoming free-agent tackle class in 2026, guys such as Braden Smith and Jonah Williams will garner a ton of attention. There will also be a crop of veteran tackles who will get one-year deals, such as Cam Robinson and Fred Johnson.
Teams would rather take their chances with offensive linemen like that than with Jones, who could have set himself nicely with a contract extension if he played anywhere close to what he did in 2024. Now, he’s likely to get a cheap, one-year deal to not even compete for a starting job, but to be a backup.