The writing is on the wall for left tackle Braxton Jones after the Chicago Bears benched him early in Sunday’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders, and at least one analyst is already buzzing about the behemoth that could possibly replace him.
Coming out of Sunday’s games in Week 4, The Draft Network’s Jaime Eisner released his latest mock draft for the 2026 offseason, in which he projected the Bears to invest their first-round pick in Oregon standout offensive tackle Isaiah World next spring.
A towering 6-foot-8, 318-pound prospect, World has drawn hype as a potential 2026 first-round pick after allowing zero sacks on 458 pass-blocking snaps at Nevada’s left tackle in 2024. He transferred to Oregon in the offseason to take over for 2025 first-round pick Josh Conerly Jr. and has continued to play well in his first five starts.
At a minimum, World would make it easier for the Bears to replace Jones in the lineup.
The Chicago Bears must address their left tackle situation as soon as possible,” Eisner wrote in his post-Week 4 mock draft. “Isaiah World is off to a strong start to the college football season, excels in both elements of the game, and would effectively end the Braxton Jones experiment in Chicago.”
Will Braxton Jones Remain on Bench for Rest of 2025?
The Bears made an unexpected — but not undeserved — change in their lineup during the second quarter of Sunday’s win over the Raiders, moving Jones to the bench and sliding over Theo Benedet from right tackle to cover their quarterback’s blindside.
The Bears also inserted second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo to take over at right tackle, believing that turning the reins over to the two younger tackles would spark the offense.
While Benedet and Trapilo both had their struggles and mishaps against Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby, the Bears managed to stabilize offensively with them in the second half and put points on the board on five of their first seven drives after halftime.
Now, it seems the Bears are planning to stick with Benedet as their starting left tackle when they emerge from their bye, according to The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs.
“A source said Jones is not expected to start Oct. 13 at Washington. The situation remains fluid, and Benedet is the likely replacement,” Biggs wrote Tuesday.
Does that mean Jones will ride the bench for the rest of the season? Not necessarily, according to Biggs. And it makes sense that they would not rule out the possibility of Jones returning to the starting lineup, as neither Benedet nor Trapilo is very proven.
For now, though, it seems more likely than not that Jones will no longer play for the Bears in 2026 and will instead sign elsewhere during next spring’s free agency.
Bears Could Make Finding New LT a Priority in 2026
Jones could potentially recover from his rough start to 2025 and regain his spot in the lineup later in the season. But, in the likely event that does not happen, the Bears may need to prioritize finding a new starting left tackle for the roster in the 2026 offseason.
The NFL draft seems likely to house several compelling options. World is one of them, but scouts have not reached a consensus on which prospect will emerge as ‘OT1″ when the college football season ends. Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor, Miami’s Francis Mauigoa and Utah’s Spencer Fano are also among the top prospects in the mix for that title.
The Bears could also make a significant investment in free agency, though there are not many high-level options on track to become available. According to Over the Cap, they are also sitting roughly $5.4 million over the salary cap without any roster adjustments, which would make it extremely difficult for them to sign a veteran starter at left tackle.
Of course, the Bears could always get lucky with Benedet or Trapilo and find that one of them — or, in the best case, both of them — is capable of taking over as their starter in 2026. While that seems unlikely now, so, too, did Benedet making the 2025 roster in the first place or earning meaningful playing time during the regular season.
Benedet would need to play quite well for the Bears to trust him as their starting left tackle moving forward, but he shouldn’t be written off until he has played out his time.
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