The Chicago Bears are taking a multi-faceted approach to the presumed season-long absence of left tackle Ozzy Trapilo, and Braxton Jones could be the best option.
Jones is a former fifth-round draft pick with a wealth of experience under his belt.
The Bears had seemingly turned the page on Jones. But Trapilo’s injury almost certainly helped facilitate a return, and it could lead Jones back into the starting lineup for a potential bounce-back campaign.
Braxton Jones Gets Vote of Confidence in Bears’ LT Search
Bears’ Braxton Jones Healthy Heading Into Offseason Program
The Bears selected Jones 168th overall in the 2022 draft. He started all 17 games as a rookie, but has battled injuries in the three seasons since then. Jones appeared in six games in 2025, starting four of them.
Former NFL tight end Clay Harbor, now an analyst for Chicago Sports Network, believes Jones can regain the form that he showed early on.
Once again, health is a key factor.
“He’s still young. We’ve seen him play good football before. And me, I can tell you this just because I’ve experienced it: there’s a difference in an offseason where you’re focused on getting better versus getting back,” Harbor said on “The Big Pro Football Show” on April 3.
“Mentally, the confidence that gets you when you go into a training camp and OTAs, that ‘I’ve been getting better. I’ve been working on my body. I am ready for this.’ Not, ‘Man, I hope my ankle holds up.’ So, I think that puts him in the driver’s seat. And then, obviously, who’s challenging him right now, outside of the draft?”
That is where the situation gets interesting again, with the Bears’ draft plans unclear. It seems unlikely they would use a premium pick on a tackle if they like Trapilo as much as they say.
Incumbent Kiran Amegadjie has all but fallen out of consideration after last offseason.
The Bears signed Jedrick Wills in free agency, but he is coming off a serious leg injury and did not play at all last season. He is also learning a new system, giving Jones another leg up in the competition.
Like Jones, the Bears turned to and ultimately moved on from Theo Benedet at left tackle, which seems telling. Left guard Joe Thuney moved to left tackle in the postseason after Trapilo’s injury.
However, Harbor noted head coach Ben Johnson’s remarks about Jones’ health at the time.
Jones was recovering from a knee injury, and the Bears were preparing for Los Angeles Rams star Jared Verse. The Bears have ruled out moving Thuney to LT full-time, which figures to put Jones on equal footing with his competition, if not ahead of most of them. Harbor and the panel also argued against moving Darnell Wright over.
Whatever the Bears decide, they will hope for continuity after cycling through options this past season. It would be a full-circle outcome for Jones.
