Drafting a left tackle early would’ve been nice. After the revolving door the Chicago Bears went through last season, finding a definitive long-term starter was high on the agenda. Unfortunately, their options were limited. There was a massive run on the position early in the 1st round. By the time the Bears were on the clock, the position was picked clean. Rather than force the issue, they pivoted to safety Dillon Thieneman. That decision made things clear. Until Ozzy Trapilo returned healthy, the job would be determined in a training camp battle between Braxton Jones and Jedrick Wills.
The parallels between the two are pretty notable. Both became starters as rookies and played well. Then, a couple of seasons in, injuries started hitting. Jones fractured his fibula towards the end of the 2024 season. Wills missed all of 2025 with a serious knee injury. Much of the upcoming battle would be determined by who could stay healthy. However, if we’re to believe that which player gets the most snaps with the first-team offense is indicative of who’s leading the race, then early signs are not good for Wills.
The Chicago Bears will go with who they trust more.
Here’s what we know. Prior to last season, both head coach Ben Johnson and offensive line coach Dan Roushar stated their admiration for Jones. They loved his size and mobility. With some adjustments to his approach, he had plenty of room to grow. The problem was the leg injury. Jones returned in time for training camp last year, but some wondered if he’d rushed back too quickly out of fear of losing his job. The Bears had drafted Trapilo in the 2nd round. Jones admitted early this week that he never felt right last season, which contributed to his poor play.
“A big piece of it is simply feeling right from the lower half and from the injuries,” Jones said. “Last year I was still in a good place but I just didn’t trust it. I didn’t trust the positions I was putting myself in, and when you don’t trust that, you’re never going to put a good outcome out there.
“So just continuing to trust that what’s happened, the procedures I’ve had, is fine and everything’s good, everything’s strong. And that’s really what it is.”
It certainly showed on the field. Jones didn’t look comfortable in pass protection and couldn’t generate any power in the run game. Eventually, Johnson benched him in favor of Theo Benedet. Jones was later put on IR for the rest of the season. It was a humbling experience, and seemed to invigorate him into making some changes. He worked with Terron Armstead, a former All-Pro who played for Roushar, to improve his overall technique while also transforming his body. He arrived at spring practices “yolked up,” as Johnson described.
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One must not forget Jones pre-injury.
He had the best season of his career in 2024. Through 471 snaps, he’d allowed just 26 pressures on the quarterback. This was despite Caleb Williams constantly holding the ball longer than preferred because he was a rookie in a bad offense. Then he went down against Detroit and missed the rest of the year. It happening in late December complicated matters. Broken fibulas can take up to 6 months to heal. That means he would not have ended rehabilitation until late June the following year.
It’s no wonder he didn’t trust the leg. He hadn’t had enough time to work on it before he was thrown into a brand new offense. That is no longer an issue. Jones is fully healthy and seems unconcerned about the leg. The same can’t be said of Wills, who already missed some practice time in minicamps. Unless there is a significant shift when the pads go on next month, it feels like Jones is now the heavy favorite to secure the Chicago Bears starting job.
