The Chicago Bears will have several moving parts this offseason, as 23 players are set to hit unrestricted free agency. One of those names is offensive tackle Braxton Jones, whose rookie contract will expire, and Chicago seems content rolling with other options like Theo Benedet at tackle.
After starting in just four games for the Bears in 2025, it appears that Jones will be in another team's jersey next season. In fact, a likely offseason split could lead him right to one of Chicago's rivals.
NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah was on a conference call on Thursday, and he revealed that Detroit is sniffing around the tackle market in free agency.
"They sound like they’ve been doing a lot of homework on free-agent tackles. That shows you that they’re — we’ll see what happens with Decker, but it feels like there could definitely be a need there,” Jeremiah said.
With a void along the offensive line potentially looming for the Lions, there's a world in which they bring in Jones for the 2026 season, keeping him inside the NFC North.
Braxton Jones Could Be a Lions Target in Free Agency
Jones was drafted in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft and has given the Bears a starter, but he has been inconsistent. He's missed at least five games over the last three seasons due to various neck and knee injuries.
Yet, the Lions could use his services, especially if Taylor Decker retires. Although he hadn't stepped away, he's been mulling over the idea, which is why the Lions are diving elsewhere. Spotrac projects Jones to get a two-year, $9.5 million deal ($4.8 million annual average), which is very manageable.
The Southern Utah product has 44 starts under his belt and could compete for a starting job if needed. But at the same time, that could be a positive for the Bears, as Jones had his fair share of struggles, per Pro Football Focus:
Statistics | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Pressures Allowed | 40 | 32 | 26 | 15 |
Hits Allowed | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Sacks Allowed | 7 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
Penalties | 12 | 9 | 7 | 1 |
The common denominator for Jones is his knack for giving up pressures and committing penalties. In just four starts in 2025, he gave up 15 pressures and two sacks, which led to his benching.
It's obvious the Bears are closing his chapter in Chicago, but with some troubles in that same area for the Lions, he could see his former team twice a year.
Offensive line will be an area the Lions attack, especially the tackle spot. Braden Smith, Jonah Williams, and Cam Robinson are other free agent options at the position, but they are projected to earn deals of $10 million plus annually on the open market.
The Lions are currently more than $9.6 million above the salary cap, per OverTheCap, so it's easy to see why they might like a budget player like Jones. As bizarre as it'd be to see him sporting a division rival's uniform, Bears fans won't shed any tears, especially if Jones' best days continue to be behind him.