Every position on the roster appeared to be situated for the Chicago Bears after the preseason. Caleb Williams was the quarterback. D'Andre Swift is the running back. D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze are the wide receivers. Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo are the edge rushers. Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson remain the cornerbacks. There was, however, a major exception. The team had not picked who their starting left tackle would be. Head coach Ben Johnson insisted the team was working through the process. None of the options had managed to stand out during training camp; thus, the competition continued.
Now, with Monday Night Football less than a week away, the Bears knew they had to make a decision. Johnson announced on Tuesday that Braxton Jones would start against the Minnesota Vikings. It isn’t a big surprise. Jones has the most proven experience of the group. Kiran Amegadjie suffered another injury setback. Ozzy Trapilo is a rookie and had to shift over from right tackle. Theo Benedet came on late, but his lack of length was problematic. This enables Jones to hang onto his job despite clearly not being 100% healthy.
The Chicago Bears suggested the competition may not be over.
Johnson stated that it could run all the way into the bye week. Much depends on how the starter performs early and how others look in practice as the season unfolds. The bye offers the Chicago Bears their last chance to make a change, so they will use it if necessary. That puts Jones under the microscope. He’s proven he can be a quality starter when healthy. The problem has been staying that way. He was nagged by injuries last season, even before his broken tibia that ended his year. This season marks his last chance to hold the starting job and earn a lucrative second contract. Jones is a free agent next spring. Chicago would love to reward him with an extension. However, they haven’t seen enough to justify one. The first month of the season is the most important stretch of his career.
