The phrase “time is a flat circle” seems to describe the Chicago Bears better than most NFL teams.
Heading into the 2025 regular season, the team is yet again faced with the same question that has been asked in each of the previous three seasons: Is Braxton Jones good enough to be the starting left tackle, or should Ryan Poles look elsewhere?
One name that has emerged as a potential replacement for Jones is Houston Texans veteran tackle Cam Robinson. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox put together his top candidates to be on the trade block heading into Week 1, and he has Robinson close to the top.
“Houston Texans offensive tackle Cam Robinson ranks near the top of our list because he plays a premium position and can likely be had for a reasonable price,” Knox wrote on September 3. “The Texans added Robinson after trading Laremy Tunsil earlier this offseason. While the veteran can provide valuable insurance, Houston is comfortable with rookie second-round pick Aireontae Ersery as its starter.”
Robinson Started 10 Games for the Minnesota Vikings in 2025
GettyIs left tackle Cam Robinson a player the Chicago Bears should be eyeing via trade?
Robinson came out of Alabama as a unanimous All-American and Outland Trophy winner when the Jacksonville Jaguars made him the 34th overall pick in 2017. He started 15 games as a rookie and looked every bit the long-term answer at left tackle.
An ACL tear in Week 2 of his 2018 threw a wrench in the plan, but Robinson fought back, reclaiming his job and earning not one but two franchise tags before finally securing a three-year, $54 million extension in 2022.
Things got rockier after that. He served a four-game PED suspension in 2023, then landed on injured reserve with a knee issue later that same year. In 2024, the Jaguars dealt him to Minnesota at the trade deadline, and Robinson managed to finish the season, but not without drawing attention for his 11 penalties and 7 sacks allowed across 999 snaps.
In March, the Texans inked him to a one-year deal worth up to $14.5 million.
Robinson’s been around the block and has started more than 100 games in the NFL, and Knox believes that a 2026 fifth-round pick would get a deal done. But would he really be that big of an upgrade over Jones?
Why the Chicago Bears Should Not Trade for OT Cam Robinson
Robinson has over twice the experience Jones does, but beyond that, it’s difficult to see why the Bears would look his way.
Put bluntly, neither the tape nor the numbers are on Robinson’s side. His pass-blocking grade from PFF dipped into the low 70s, and his run-blocking was even less impressive. Compare that to Jones, who posted a 77.4 overall grade with an 80.8 mark in pass protection, ranking 17th among all tackles. Jones was flagged seven times and allowed 5 sacks—not perfect, but not awful, either. Younger, cheaper and still under team control, Jones seems like the obvious choice.
Also — Chicago doesn’t need to spend draft capital or cap space chasing a player whose best years might be behind him. If disaster strikes and depth becomes an emergency, fine, kick the tires. Otherwise, the smarter move is rolling with Jones and trusting the younger depth — Theo Benedet, Kiran Amegadjie and Ozzy Trapilo — behind him.
Thus, the Bears might already have the right answer at LT, even if it’s not the flashiest one.
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