The Chicago Bears have to start wondering if their franchise is snakebit when it comes to the offensive line. Almost every notable player they’ve trotted onto the field who shows considerable promise ends up suffering injury setbacks. It was already the case with Teven Jenkins before the season when calf injuries landed him on Injured Reserve. Now their promising left tackle, Braxton Jones, might be done for the season after enduring a neck injury in the loss to Tampa Bay last week. A brutal blow to an already beleaguered front.
This is a loss the Bears can’t afford. Despite ongoing penalty issues, Jones was actually playing pretty well through the first two games. Now, the entire left side of their offensive line is out as they prepare to visit the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Their only solace is they have Larry Borom ready to step up. While far from a star, he’s at least proven to be serviceable in the past. Whether that matters much against a strong Chiefs defensive line is another discussion.
The Chicago Bears may need a new left tackle next year.
That sounds premature, but anybody who knows the NFL understands that neck or back injuries in offensive linemen are rarely a good thing. They need flexibility in both to function at their highest level. The severity of Jones’ problem isn’t clear. Yet the fact he’s going on IR says more than enough. GM Ryan Poles has two 1st round picks in 2024. He may have to set one aside for a new left tackle. Reports are it should be a quality class. One can only feel bad for Jones at this point.
One silver lining is it won’t be too much longer before Jenkins gets back. He’s out for two more weeks and should be ready to go in Week 5. That should help solidify the interior, which has been the far bigger problem for the Bears this season. All one can do is feel sorry for this team. Even when it appears they pick good players on the offensive line, something always seems to go wrong.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
