It felt like Braxton Jones had been teetering on the edge for the past few weeks. Head coach Ben Johnson didn’t sound thrilled about choosing him as the starting left tackle after the competition in training camp. It was more that the Chicago Bears didn’t have any preferred alternatives. Jones went on to give up 13 pressures in his first two games. He played better against Dallas, but it felt like the protection issues weren’t what rankled Johnson. It was the run-blocking. This offense is built around running the football, and it can’t function if the left tackle can’t do anything.
Things didn’t improve against Las Vegas. The Bears struggled to move the ball on the ground all day. It appears Johnson finally reached his breaking point with Jones with five minutes left in the 2nd quarter. It was 3rd and 19 from the Raiders’ 23-yard line. Johnson called a draw play, hoping to give the Bears some easy yards to set up a Cairo Santos field goal. Jones appears to misdiagnose his blocking responsibility, choosing to help Joe Thuney double-team defensive tackle Jonah Laulu, leaving defensive end Malcolm Koonce completely unblocked.
He would drop D’Andre Swift for a two-yard loss.
Before you ask, no, Braxton Jones was not injured.
The left tackle would appear four more times on the field during the game, all for field goal and extra point duties. That wouldn’t happen if he were hurt. Make no mistake, the guy was benched. Former undrafted free agent Theo Benedet stepped in at left tackle from that point forward. It’s worth noting the Bears averaged 5.27 yards per carry for the rest of the game after Braxton Jones exited. He may not have been the only reason for their rushing woes, but it’s clear Johnson felt he was one of the biggest.
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It is difficult to know what happens now. The Bears have hinted at a possible offensive line shuffle happening during the bye week. Considering they benched Jones before even getting there doesn’t bode well for his prospects moving forward. It is unfortunate that things went this way after he had such a promising start to his career. Maybe he’ll get another chance.
